To no surprise, a large part of the Orlando area economy is involved in the tourist industry. Tourism surrounding Orlando is worth billions of dollars to the area's economy. Over 48 million visitors came to the Orlando region in 2004. The convention industry is also critical to the region's economy, due partly to the multitude of attractions available for all age ranges in the area. The Orange County Convention Center, expanded in 2004 to over two million square feet of exhibition space, is now the second-largest convention complex in the United States. The Orlando International Airport is a world-class facility, and one of the most heavily travelled airports in the world.

The area's economy also has other industries apart from tourism, such as the presence of manufacturing in the region. Lockheed-Martin has a large manufacturing facility for aeronautical crafts and related high tech research due to Orlando's proximity to the NASA Kennedy Space Center. The area is also home to many computer software and hardware firms that located here in the 1970's and 1980's such as IBM. Another sector that is developing is the film, television, and electronic gaming industries, aided by the presence of Universal Studios, Disney-MGM Studios, Electronic Arts, Full Sail School, and other entertainment companies and schools. Numerous office complexes for large corporations have popped up along the Interstate 4 corridor north of Orlando, especially in Maitland, Lake Mary and Heathrow. The U.S. modeling, simulation, and training (MST) industry is centered around the Orlando region as well, with a particularly strong presence in the UCF Research Park.