Florida Tourism Grows 6.9%, Welcomed 104.5 Million Visitors in 2022
TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Florida’s tourism numbers remain on the rise, a continuation of the Sunshine State’s trend emerging from COVID-19 as a beacon for open businesses and lack of restrictions.
VISIT FLORIDA estimates Florida hosted 35.1 million visitors from July to September, a 6.9% increase from 2021’s Q3 numbers. It marks the fifth consecutive quarter of visitation exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Domestically, Florida saw 32.6 million visitors in Q3 2022, with an overall 2022 visitation of 104.5 million. The increase is 4.1% higher from the same period in 2019 – before COVID-19 – and 15.3% higher than in 2021.
“Our freedom first policies continue to bring visitors to Florida from across the country and around the world,” DeSantis said. “This increase in tourism will support our entire economy, especially small businesses that have been built from the ground up by hardworking Floridians.”
The numbers come from before Hurricane Ian and Nicole hit the state. To ensure visitors are not disincentivized from traveling, VISIT FLORIDA launched a $2.7 million campaign to tell travelers the “Sun is Shining in Florida.”
“We are thrilled to cap off more outstanding growth for Florida’s tourism industry in the third quarter of 2022,” said Dana Young, VISIT FLORIDA President and CEO. “Even as more destinations have become available, Florida has firmly maintained the top spot on every traveler’s list. Looking ahead, VISIT FLORIDA is wholly focused on continuing the momentum we have created, and further reinforcing that we are the No. 1 vacation destination in the world.”
Florida’s tourism estimates include:
- 1.9 million overseas travelers in Q3 2022, an increase of 85.5 percent from Q3 2021
- Canadian visitation during Q3 2022 accounted for 539,000 visitors, an increase of 442.2 percent from Q3 2021
- 34.3 percent of visitors traveled by plane in Q3 2022, marking a return to historical travel patterns
- Hotel rooms sold grew 9.2 percent compared to the same period last year, and the overall occupancy rate grew by 6.2 percent
