Florida reaches record levels of tourism, Gov. DeSantis says

Sara Filips
·2 min read
1
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Related video: Clearwater Beach prepares for an influx of tourism during Spring Break 2024.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — To say we live where others vacation, rings true.

According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office, Florida has reached “unprecedented” levels of tourism, based on revised figures from 2023.

No rainbow lights: Sunshine Skyway Bridge goes dark for Pride 2024

Last year, the state welcomed more than 140.6 million visitors, solidifying the Sunshine State as a premier destination for travelers. This is a 2.3% increase from 2022.

The numbers for domestic visitors came in at 129.1 million people, along with 8.3 million overseas travelers and 3.2 million from Canada.

DeSantis added that the first three months of 2024 yielded more than 40.6 million visitors, the most ever recorded in a single quarter, with a 1.3% increase from the first quarter in 2023. Within the first few months of this new year, domestic visitors hit a new high of 37.2 million people, 2.1 million from overseas and 1.3 million from Canada.

“Once again, Florida leads the nation as an unrivaled destination for tourists,” DeSantis said in the announcement on Thursday. “These record-breaking numbers show that our work has made the free state of Florida even more attractive to visitors.”

So what cities are the hot spots for travelers?

Tampa International Airport offers nonstop flights to these international destinations

According to DeSantis’ office, the state’s busiest airport was Orlando International, which saw 7.6 million enplanements, followed by Miami International at 7.5 million. Fort Myers airports saw the biggest increase, with Tallahassee seeing notable growth.

Overall Florida airports saw a 9.4% increase in total enplanements, climbing to 30.2 million.

“Florida continues to welcome visitors with open arms,” Dana Young, the President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, said. “The record-breaking visitation seen in 2023 and continued through the first quarter of 2024 reaffirms Florida’s status as a must-visit destination for travelers worldwide.”

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.