DHANKS@MIAMIHERALD.COM
Throughout the 1990s, the post-Thanksgiving stretch was a sleepy time for tourism in South Florida. Enter Art Basel Miami Beach, which brought the country’s largest contemporary arts fair to the first week of December. “I use the term ‘Basel effect’ quite often,’’ said Rolando Aedo, senior vice president of marketing at the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. “From a business perspective, the numbers are outstanding.”Since 2002, the Basel “scene” has seen explosive growth, along with a brief bubble amid financial turmoil. But there’s no doubting the math: the Basel “effect” has transformed Miami-Dade County in December.