British tourists: 'It's part of the Florida experience'

British holidaymakers fleeing Hurricane Charley, the most powerful cyclone to hit Florida since 1992, found themselves right in its path after following advice issued by tour operators.

British holidaymakers fleeing Hurricane Charley, the most powerful cyclone to hit Florida since 1992, found themselves right in its path after following advice issued by tour operators.

The category four hurricane proved early predictions wrong and smacked into Orlando, the state's number one tourist destination, where thousands of Britons had moved for safety.

UK travel agencies, acting on advice issued earlier in the week by the National Hurricane Centre, urged families to avoid Tampa and head for Orlando. But the devastating storm veered south of Tampa and then beat a path straight for the city best known as the home of Disney.

"That's life. I will do my best to control everything which I can control but God controls the weather," said Robert Cappin, a partner at Chelmsford-based Mercury Travel, whose UK customers were among the holidaymakers caught out.

"There was no way of knowing. The bottom line is that central Florida had been very, very lucky up until now."

Britons make up Florida's largest overseas market for tourism, with one and half million visiting the state every year. Most head for Orlando to enjoy its landmark attractions - the Walt Disney theme parks and Universal Studios. Both Disney and Universal reported business as usual on Saturday, despite a battering from high winds.

Anthony and Katherine Severn and their four children from Pyrford, near Woking in Surrey, were among the luckier ones to escape. They took a $1000-a-week holiday rental on the coast, 40 miles west of Tampa but were forced to evacuate on Thursday.

On Friday they were back after Charley unexpectedly gave them a wide berth. "It's all part of the Disney Hurricane experience. That's how I am selling it to the kids anyway," said Anthony, a marine consultant.

The Jones family from Sidcup, Kent, who checked into the International Plaza hotel in Orlando on Thursday, were in the middle of their holiday on the coast. "Fortunately we were heading this way anyway to Disney. But the whole thing has been a pain in the neck, really," said Mary, on holiday with her husband and two children. "I'm just glad we found a room."

The city of Orlando's official website issued a warning hours before hurricane Charley arrived, advising that all hotels in the area were almost full. Visitors were being told to consider elsewhere, including Miami, a four-hour drive away.