VISIT FLORIDA posts strong third quarter results

Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that visitation to Florida continues to rise, setting a record for the number of visitors to Florida in the third quarter of the year, with an estimated total of 35.1 million visitors between July and September 2023. Visitation included 32.2 million domestic visitors, 2.2 million overseas visitors and 666,000 Canadian visitors.

Additionally, Florida continues to beat overall annual visitation records with 105.2 million visitors so far in 2023, 724,000 more visitors than the first nine months of 2022.

The governor observed that: “Florida continues to set records for visitation because of our commitment to allowing visitors to enjoy their travels without arbitrary government restrictions. Florida will continue to be a beacon of freedom for travellers.”

Dana Young, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, said: “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 a growth in visitation from global travellers.”

Young continued: “Because of the visionary leadership of Governor DeSantis, whose Freedom First policies led our state to record numbers of visitors in the past, Florida has secured a new normal with an elevated market share of tourism, especially international tourism.”

Highlights from VISIT FLORIDA’s latest visitation estimates include:

• 35.1 million visitors are estimated to have traveled to Florida in Q3 2023, an increase of 1.6% from the same period in 2022, and 8.0% higher than the same period in 2019.
• Florida has seen a total of 105.2 million visitors in the first three quarters of 2023, with 96.4 million domestic visitors, 6.0 million overseas visitors and 2.8 million Canadian visitors.
• Travel spend in Florida is up 11.3% compared to Q3 2019, while the U.S. as a whole was only up 3.9%. Additionally, Florida continues to beat our competition with travel spending in California and New York down 3.2% and 1.2%, respectively.
• Q3 visitation is estimated at 32.2 million domestic visitors, 2.2 million overseas visitors and 666,000 Canadian visitors.
• The number of overseas and Canadian visitors in CY 2023 increased 19.3% and 60.3% respectively from the same period in 2022. The total percentage increase of all visitors is at 0.7% from the first nine months of 2022.
• Domestic visitors accounted for 91.8% of visitors in Q3 2023, while overseas visitors were 6.3% and Canadians were 1.9%.

Go to www.visitflorida.com for more.