Florida gets Q2 tourism boost

TALLAHASSEE — Florida saw increased tourism during the second quarter of 2024, while it continues trying to get the international market back to pre-pandemic levels.

With the totals driven by tourists from other parts of the U.S., Visit Florida on Thursday estimated the state had 34.2 million visitors during the April-through-June period, 1.64 percent more than during the same period in 2023.

For the first six months of 2024, the state had an estimated 74.8 million visitors, a 1.4 percent increase from the first half of 2023.

Gov. Ron DeSantis' office sent out a news release describing the new totals as the "greatest second-quarter tourism numbers in Florida history."

Travelers from other parts of the U.S. accounted for 92 percent of Florida's second-quarter visitors.

The estimate of 31.5 million domestic travelers was up 1.8 percent from the second quarter of 2023 and 8.7 percent higher than in 2019, the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic slammed into the state.

After a huge drop in tourism early in the pandemic, Florida initially focused on attracting people from other parts of the U.S. before shifting attention to the international market.

Visit Florida, the state's tourism-marketing agency, on Thursday estimated the state had 2 million travelers from overseas during this year's second quarter and 739,000 from Canada.

In the second quarter of 2023, the state reported 1.94 million overseas travelers and 767,000 Canadians.

In 2019, overseas travel was at 2.44 million in the second quarter, with another 848,000 Canadians.

"Moving forward, we will continue to leverage our strengths to ensure that Florida remains the top destination for travelers worldwide," Visit Florida President & CEO Dana Young said in the release from the governor's office.

Lawmakers included $80 million for Visit Florida in the budget for this fiscal year, which started July 1. Another $1 million was directed to the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association for an in-state tourism marketing campaign.

A study by state economists released in April put the return on investment of Visit Florida around $3.30 for every $1 spent on marketing.

The pandemic knocked the return to 58 cents for every $1 spent, the study said.