Florida breaks third quarter travel record with more than 35 million visits

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida hit a new visitation record for the third quarter of 2023, totaling 35.1 million visits between July and September, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

”Florida continues to set records for visitation because of our commitment to allowing visitors to enjoy their travels without arbitrary government restrictions,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press release. “Florida will continue to be a beacon of freedom for travelers.”

The 35.1 million visits is an increase of 1.6% from the 2022 third quarter numbers and is 8% higher than the 2019 third quarter numbers.

Visit Florida CEO Dana Young expressed her enthusiasm for the new record by explaining how the organization has connected with local tourism partners across the state to “fuel growth” in visitation from global travelers.

”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,” she said.

Out of the 105.2 million visits in the first three quarters of 2023, 96.4 million have been domestic travelers, while 6 million were from oversees and 2 million were from Canada, according to governor’s office.

Florida also saw an 11.3% increase in travel spending since 2019, compared to the U.S. which has only experienced a 3.9% rise. Florida also outpaces in travel spending against other states such as California and New York, with increases of 3.2% and 1.2% respectively.

The boost in visits came after the NAACP issued a travel advisory on the state of Florida due claims of “hostile” policies in May.

“Please be advised that Florida public schools will not teach your children accurate African-American history, which includes a history of enslavement, segregation, racial injustice and systemic racism,” the group claimed.

“Please be advised that the State of Florida does not value diversity, equity, and inclusion in Florida schools, colleges and universities,” the advisory continued. “Please be advised that the State of Florida does not welcome the contributions of African Americans and people of color.”

DeSantis previously responded to the advisory, calling it a “joke” and mocking its accuracy.

“We’ll see how effective that is,” DeSantis said. “Just remember, during COVID, these people would be on CNN all this stuff slamming Florida saying we were so bad. ‘Don’t go to Florida,’ and then they would end up being spotted on the beach somewhere vacationing in Florida!”