FLORIDA – With its beaches, amusement parks, and great weather, it‘s no secret that Florida is a hotbed for tourism, and according to recent data, those tourism numbers are only getting stronger.
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On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that 34.6 million people visited Florida during the third quarter of 2024, which typically runs from July 1 to Sept. 30.
According to VISIT FLORIDA, which classifies itself as the “premier sales and marketing organization that promotes tourism to Florida,” the record-breaking visitation numbers were fueled by 31.8 million domestic visitors, 2.3 million overseas visitors, and 582,000 Canadian visitors, all of which represent increases over the previous year’s third quarter.
The organization added that this marks the third consecutive quarter of record-setting visitation to Florida. The first three quarters of 2024 also showed an increase of 2 million visitors from the same period in 2023.
In the state’s first quarter of 2024, which runs from Jan. 1 to March 31, Florida saw over 40 million visitors, the highest number ever recorded in a single quarter. The second quarter saw over 34 million people visit Florida, a nearly 2% increase from Q2 2023.
“The Free State of Florida continues to break records for tourism,” DeSantis said. “It is a testament to our model, and we will continue to operate our state with common sense, fiscal responsibility, environmental stewardship, and a penchant for freedom.”
“The hard work and resilience of Floridians have been instrumental in keeping our tourism industry strong, showcasing the best of what our state has to offer,” said Dana Young, VISIT FLORIDA’s president and CEO.
Other highlights from VISIT FLORIDA‘s visitation estimates showed domestic visitors making up about 92% of total visitation numbers, and total enplanements, which represents how many passengers boarded an airplane at one of Florida‘s 19 major airports, were around 26 million, a number that was 1.3% higher than the number in Q3 2023.
The travel planning resource added that airports in Pensacola and Palm Beach experienced “notable” growth.
