Ron DeSantis Welcomes Record 142.9 Million Visitors to Florida

MIAMI - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that the Sunshine State welcomed a record-breaking 142.9 million visitors in 2024, a 1.6% increase from 2023 that also shattered that year's record.

“The results are clear—Florida is the best place to visit, live, and do business,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press release. “Another record-breaking year is proof that leadership matters, and the Free State of Florida is a model for the nation.”

According to the release, Florida welcomed over 33 million visitors in the fourth quarter (Q4) alone, which also set a record. Specifically, nearly 30 million domestic visitors, 2.5 million overseas visitors, and 742,000 Canadian visitors came to the state in Q4.

Specifically, the state saw nearly 131 million domestic visitors in Calendar Year (CY) 2024. It also saw nearly 9 million overseas visitors in CY 2024, up 6.6% from CY 2023 and the closest to full recovery since 2019.

Familiar to South Florida, 3.3 million Canadians visited the state in CY 2024, a 1.2% increase from last year.

Overall, domestic visitors accounted for over 90% of the state's visitation followed by overseas visitors and Canadian visitors.

The release also said Florida's hotel occupancy also rose by 6.7% in Q4 while annual room nights increased by 1.6% in 2024. Furthermore, it noted Florida's 19 major airports saw increased growth with enplanements up 3.1% year over year, including in specific areas such as Tallahassee, Panama City, and Pensacola.

DeSantis also announced the news during a press conference in Miami Beach

“Under Governor DeSantis’ bold leadership, Florida’s tourism industry remains world-leading,” Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly said.“Tourism in Florida continued to break records in 2024, recovering from a challenging hurricane season, driving economic growth and improving quality of life for Florida’s communities and families.”