Foreign Tourists Growing More Important to Florida Economy. (Originated from The Miami Herald)

Dec. 20--It's only natural: As Miami has become more international, so have its visitors.

Indeed, an increasing number of Americans are turning their backs on Miami in favor of the Caribbean or Mexico. But filling in the gaps is a flood of visitors from Brazil, Germany and England.

In 1992, international visitors outnumbered tourists from the United States for the first time in Dade's history, making up 55 percent of the total visitor base. That year, domestic traffic fell 12.6 percent, while international traffic surged 16.1 percent.

For the first six months of 1993, the gap continued to grow, as international visitors made up 59 percent of tourists in …