The sun is shining bright on Florida¡¯s tourism industry.?

The state welcomed 135 million visitors in 2023, Visit Florida announced on February 16. That includes 122.9 million domestic visitors¡ªan increase of 4.9 percent since 2019¡ªand 12.1 million international visitors.?

While Florida broke visitation records in the first and third quarters of 2023, the annual number didn¡¯t surpass last year¡¯s record of 137.6 million visitors. However, Florida set a new record of 45.9 million domestic travelers who arrived by air¡ªthe largest share of air visitors since 2016.

Visitation from Canada¡ªFlorida¡¯s number-one international market¡ªjumped 45.5 percent compared to 2022, with 3.8 million visitors. Overseas visitation, including travelers from all other international countries, grew 18.3 percent from 2022 levels.

Record-Breaking Attendance at Florida Huddle

The recent Florida Huddle and Encounter trade shows demonstrated the Sunshine State¡¯s tourism draw. The sold-out shows, which took place February 4-6 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, attracted 728 registered attendees¡ªthe highest number ever.?

At the annual Huddle for the international travel trade and Encounter for the meetings industry, tour operators, wholesalers, meeting planners, and the media gathered for one-on-one meetings with representatives from Florida CVBs, hotels, resorts, attractions, and theme parks.?

Dana Young, president and CEO of Visit Florida¡ªthe state¡¯s official tourism marketing corporation¡ªsaid Huddle¡¯s popularity this year can be attributed to several factors. In addition to the draw of Miami Beach in February, ¡°we have seen tremendous enthusiasm from our partners from all our key markets,¡± she said.?

Florida has been at the forefront of the travel industry¡¯s recovery from the COVID downturn, noted Young: ¡°The world has looked to Florida as sort of the beacon of what could happen if everything went right as we got back into traveling.¡±?

This year¡¯s record-breaking Florida Huddle and Encounter took place in Miami Beach. (Photo Credit: GMCVB ¨C http://MiamiandBeaches.com)

Strong Overseas Visitation to Florida?

In fact, Florida is outperforming the U.S. as a whole when it comes to its post-COVID travel recovery. Florida welcomed 8.31 million overseas visitors in 2023, which includes international travelers from all countries except Canada. That represents an 85 percent recovery compared with 2019 numbers, the last full year before the COVID pandemic. The 2023 overseas recovery index for the U.S. was 77 percent.?

Latin American Countries Helped Florida¡¯s Recovery

One reason for Florida¡¯s strong recovery is its popularity with Latin Americans. Of the top 10 countries for international tourism to Florida, six are in Latin America¡ªBrazil, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador and Chile. Canada, the U.K., Germany and France round out the list.

¡°Latin Americans love to visit Florida,¡± said Jacob Pewitt Yancey, director of consumer insights and analytics for Visit Florida. ¡°For a variety of reasons, visitation from Latin America to the U.S. didn¡¯t drop off nearly as much [as other countries] over the course of the pandemic, and it recovered a lot more quickly.¡±

International visitors will have even more reasons to come to Florida in 2026 when Miami will host seven matches in the FIFA World Cup. Coming on the heels of superstar Lionel Messi's move last year to Inter Miami CF, South Florida¡¯s professional soccer team, the city¡¯s becoming a hot f¨²tbol destination.

¡°Having the World Cup in the United States and having Florida host our fair share of matches in 2026 is going to be a great stage for us to really welcome the world,¡± said David Whitaker, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

A Lionel Messi mural in Miami¡¯s Wynwood neighborhood. (Photo Credit: Sara Perez Webber)

Promotions in New Markets Continue to Pay Off

Domestically, Florida continues to benefit from tourism promotions it started when other states were limiting travel. ¡°We were not closed down during COVID, and we were extremely aggressive in our marketing during that time,¡± said Young. ¡°And not just to our tried-and-true markets, but we branched out into opportunity markets like Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Los Angeles.¡±?

In fact, Visit Florida had never marketed in Los Angeles before COVID, yet the city is now a top 10 domestic market for the state, joining such stalwarts as New York, Philadelphia and Atlanta. ¡°We were able to sort of reel them in, and now they realize what a great vacation opportunity Florida is,¡± said Young.?

The Core and the More

As Florida expands its marketing reach, it¡¯s also giving travelers more reasons to visit the Sunshine State. ¡°Miami and Orlando are synonymous with Florida in many people¡¯s minds, but Florida is an incredibly large and diverse state,¡± said Young. ¡°During the time that I¡¯ve been at Visit Florida, which is about five years, we have really been focusing on ¡®the core and the more.¡¯¡±?

That includes hidden gems within a short drive of a gateway airport. ¡°For example, about an hour north of Tampa, a visitor can be in Crystal River and swim with manatees,¡± said Young. ¡°It¡¯s the only place in North America where you can legally do that.¡±

Visit Florida¡ªwhich received $80 million from the state for tourism promotion in 2023¡ªjust spent $5 million on a ¡°Trails and Trail Towns¡± campaign, educating travelers about the state¡¯s 15,000 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, scuba diving and more.

With travelers increasingly interested in outdoor activities and off-the-beaten-path destinations, visitation has jumped in Florida¡¯s rural counties in the last few years. In 10 rural counties in Northwest Florida, for instance¡ªhome to freshwater springs, the Apalachicola National Forest and other natural attractions¡ªvisitor spending increased 34.5% from 2019 to 2022.?

The Florida Huddle booth for Ocala, the site of next year¡¯s Florida Huddle and Encounter, taking place Feb. 3-5, 2025. (Photo Credit: Sara Perez Webber)

Travel Advisor Training

Travel advisors can learn more about Trails and Trail Towns by becoming a certified Florida Travel Pro through Visit Florida¡¯s online training program. ¡°We are always excited to train new advisors,¡± said Young. ¡°And we¡¯re constantly adding new content.¡± Upcoming and expanded modules focus on pre- and post-cruise stays, accessibility, and Florida¡¯s growing reputation for gastronomy, with restaurants in Miami, Orlando and Tampa now included in the Michelin Guide. ¡°We just want to make sure we arm travel advisors with as much information as we can so that they know what they¡¯re selling,¡± said Young.

As Visit Florida works toward attracting even more visitors in 2024, Young sums up the state¡¯s marketing strategy: ¡°We¡¯re trying to get people out of the mindset that we¡¯re just beaches and theme parks¡ªwhich we are, and we love, but there¡¯s a lot more.¡±?

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