AN Italian couple who went to Florida to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary will fly home this week lucky to be alive after being gunned down in the State's latest attack on tourists.
And last night a police chief warned Hong Kong tourists preparing to fly to Orlando to visit the area's major attractions, Disney World, MGM Studios, and Sea World, to be on their guard.
Crime is considered a major factor in this year's across-the-board decreases in foreign and domestic tourism in Florida, and it has been estimated that Orlando will lose US$355 million this year in revenue from tourism.
In the latest attack, the Italian man was shot several times after he gave chase to two black men who had held him and his wife at gunpoint, demanding money. His wife was shot once in the stomach.
She has already been released from Orlando Regional Medical Centre, and the couple will be re-united today when her have-a-go husband leaves the hospital.
In a telephone interview, Lieutenant Mike Arthur, of Osceola County Police Headquarters, warned tourists not to tackle armed robbers.
