Florida tourism officials say that 126.1 million out-of-state visitors came to Florida in 2018. That’s the eighth consecutive record year for Florida tourism, exceeding the 118.8 million visitors in 2017 by 6.2 percent.
Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, estimates 111.8 million domestic visitors traveled to Florida in 2018, plus an estimated 10.8 million overseas visitors and 3.5 million Canadians.
Officials say travel at 18 Florida airports increased by 7.6 percent last year over the previous year, with a record 93.9 million airline passengers.
Palm Beach County’s largest city, West Palm Beach, has seen some of the largest increases in leisure and hospitality (tourism industry) jobs in 2018, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
Visit Florida is known across the world for delivering innovative destination marketing to ensure that we are reaching the right people with the right message. “With today’s announcement of an eighth consecutive record-breaking year, it’s clear that by focusing on value and data-driven campaigns, Visit Florida and the tourism industry have achieved unprecedented success,” said Dana Young, President and CEO of Visit Florida. “We appreciate Governor DeSantis for his support of our organization and Florida’s entire tourism industry. Working together, we will continue to deliver results to Florida taxpayers who rely on Visit Florida to protect and enhance our iconic tourism industry.”
The Florida tourism industry reaches targeted audiences in domestic and international markets such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Germany and China.
According to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, for every $1 the state invests in Visit Florida, $2.15 in tax revenue is generated.
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Record 126.1 Million Tourists for Florida in 2018
