Florida breaks all-time tourism record in 2023 and single quarter record in 2024

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida confirmed a record-breaking 140 million total tourists in 2023, despite previous projections that the year saw a slight decline in numbers.

Visit Florida also reported that the state saw its highest quarterly number of visitors in 2024’s Q1, with 40.6 million tourists.

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

Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said that the state was happy to welcome visitors in with “open arms.”

“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,” she said.

Out of the record breaking year, domestic visitation reached an all time high of over 129 million people. Florida also welcomed in 8.3 million overseas visitors and 3.2 million Canadian visitors.

Visit Florida originally said that the state had taken in about 135 million total visitors in 2023, a -1.7% decrease year over year. However, the revised numbers show a 2.3% increase.

Florida’s 40.6 million Q1 2024 visitors was up 1.2% from Q1 2023.

Out of the quarterly number, the state saw the highest domestic travel total of any fiscal quarter, at 37.2 million people.

The new, revised numbers came after Florida made headlines yet again as one of the top destinations for domestic travelers.

“Florida’s world class attractions, hospitality, and unwavering commitment to freedom have solidified our position as the top vacation destination,” DeSantis said.

“These figures show that Florida continues to be on the right path, as we have insisted on prioritizing public safety and common-sense leadership,” he added.