Florida tourism numbers are solid, state says

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WWSB) - Florida welcomed a record number of visitors in the third quarter of this year, according to the state’s tourism marketing corporation.

Visit Florida estimates 35 million people visited the state between July and September, a 6.9% increase from the same period last year. It would be the fifth consecutive quarter of overall visitation surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

So far this year, 104.5 million travelers entered Florida, an increase of 4.1% from the same period in 2019, more than 15.3% more than in 2021.

“Even as more destinations have become available, Florida has firmly maintained the top spot on every traveler’s list,” Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said in a news release.

Marketers also say Florida welcomed 1.9 million overseas travelers in the third quarter, an increase of 85.5% from 2021. There were 539,000 Canadian visitors, an increase of 442.2% from the third quarter of 2021.

Hotel rooms bookings grew 9.2 percent compared to the same period last year, and the overall occupancy rate grew by 6.2 percent.