The Sunshine State welcomed more third-quarter visitors this year than ever before, according to the latest figures from VISIT FLORIDA.
Between July 1 and September 30, more than 35 million out-of-state travelers came to Florida, an increase of 1.6% from the same period in 2022 and 8% higher than before COVID-19 struck.
Through the beginning of October, the state has seen 105.2 million visitors, 96.4 million of whom were domestic. Six million came from overseas. Another 2.8 traveled down from Canada.
International travel here is still on track to reach a record post-pandemic high, as Florida Politics reported previously.
And the reason for those strong numbers is simple, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“Florida continues to set records for visitation because of our commitment to allowing visitors to enjoy their travels without arbitrary government restrictions,” he said in a statement Thursday. “Florida will continue to be a beacon for freedom for travelers.”
Spending is up too, 11.3% over Q3 2019, compared to 3.9% nationwide. Meanwhile, travel spending is down 3.2% in California and 1.2% in New York, VISIT FLORIDA said.
The agency’s President and CEO, Dana Young, credited DeSantis’ “visionary leadership” and “Freedom First policies.”
DeSantis recommended Young, a former Republican Senator from Tampa, to lead the public-private VISIT FLORIDA partnership shortly after he took office in 2019.
“VISIT FLORIDA’s efforts, in conjunction with local tourism partners, do more than spotlight the unparalleled beauty of the Sunshine State but have also fueled growth in visitation from global travelers,” she said in a statement. “Florida has secured a new normal with an elevated market share of tourism, especially international tourism.”
She’s not wrong, according to data from her agency, which shows the number of overseas and Canadian visitors 19.3% and 60.3% higher, respectively, from the same period last year.
The total percentage increase of all visitors is up 0.7% from the first nine months of 2022.
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