Central Florida Looks To Broaden Its Economy

"This week, the Orlando Sentinel has examined the toll three decades of a tourism-dominated economy has taken on the region's quality of life. So the question naturally arises: What should the metropolitan area do now?" The answer seems to lie in expanding the high-tech and film/television industries already in town. "Strangely enough, one of the biggest obstacles standing between Orlando and economic diversity is the fact that tourism is not a dying industry. Much the opposite, the industry has demonstrated time and again the ability to grow the city while continuing to draw ever-greater numbers of tourists. The area's political leadership has long embraced the industry for the jobs it brings to the area -- even though they're low-paying jobs. But every 10 years or so, Orlando is reminded -- in a rather jarring fashion -- that its economy relies far too much on an oversized mouse."