Florida Tourism Statistics for 2023

Florida Tourism statistics for 2023 show a full recovery from pre-covid 2019 and 2020. 2022 pipped 2023 tourism numbers by 2 million. Statistics from VISIT FLORIDA Research show the total number of visitors in 2023 hit 135 million. This can be compared to 2022 when 137.4 million visitors visited Florida.

8.3 million visitors traveled from overseas to Florida and 3.8 million from Canada. This is an increase from 2022 when 7 million visitors came from overseas and 2.6 million visitors traveled from Canada. This represents an 18.3% and 45.5% increase, respectively.

*In 2009, VISIT FLORIDA changed its Florida visitor study estimation methodology; therefore, estimates made prior to that year are not directly comparable. In 2022 they further refined their estimating for Canadian and other overseas visitors

Florida Tourism Data for 2023

Florida tourism numbers decreased for overseas visitors in 2023, so let’s look at the data to see where the visitors came from.

Florida Tourism Statistics in 2021 and 2022

Record numbers of visitors came to Florida for nine consecutive years between 2011 and 2019, crashed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the various global lockdowns, and then started to recover in 2021.

Florida Tourism Statistics for 2021 and 2022 show that visitor numbers recovered to their pre-pandemic 2019 numbers despite a prolonged recovery from international visitors, especially from Canada.

The data from VISIT FLORIDA Research shows that visitor numbers to Florida in 2021 and 2022 are returning to their pre-pandemic 2019 figures despite a slow recovery from international visitors. Many global markets were prohibited from entering the USA until November 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the USA.

With 0.71 million visitors, Columbia was not subject to any travel bans. It came out on top for all international visitors, beating Canada with just 0.58 million (down from over 4 million in 2019).

Domestic visitor numbers surged to over 117 million (a new record), up 55% from 2020, while total visitor numbers increased to 122 million.

Top out-of-state domestic US visitors were from Georgia 9.5%, New York 9.3% and Alabama 6.4%.

The international breakdown by country showed the only gains were from South American countries that were not subject to travel bans (2020 figures in brackets):

• Canada 0.58 million (1.36 million)
• United Kingdom 0.14 million (0.18 million)
• Brazil 0.13 million (0.29 million)
• Columbia 0.71 million (0.17 million)
• Argentina 0.23 million (0.15 million)

These numbers for 2022 show the improvements in growth in comparison to 2021:

• In quarter 1 of 2022, total visitor numbers were up 41.5% on the same period in 2021
• In Quarter 2, the figures were up 4.9% on 2021
• In Quarter 3, total visitor numbers were up 5.2% in 2021
• In Quarter 4, total visitor numbers were up 5.1% in 2021

The last two quarters of 2021 also showed an increase on the same quarters in 2019.

How Many Tourists Visit Florida Each Year?

Florida’s great climate makes it a year-round destination for vacationers and business and leisure conventions. It is also an excellent draw for college students on spring break and snowbirds in the North Eastern seaboard during the cold winter.

Over the last ten years, visitor numbers have mostly continued to grow.

In 2013, an estimated 94.7 million tourists visited Florida in total, up 3.6% from 2012. In 2014, that number grew to 97.35 million, a 2.8% increase from 2013.

In 2015, despite a slight fall in international visitors, overall growth was around 6.5%, topping the 100 million mark and reaching a record near 105 million visitors. A further 5.9% increase in 2016 saw numbers reach nearly 113 million.

Though international numbers continued to fall, especially from South America, overall, 2017, 2018, and 2019 were record-breaking years with over 131 million visitors in 2019, despite the impact of hurricanes like Irma and the red tide outbreaks.

Of the major international countries, Canada continued to show growth, and Brazil started climbing again.

These figures demonstrated that for the ninth year running, Florida was still the “Number One” US attraction for holidaymakers with year-round appeal and that it had bounced back following the 2010 Gulf oil spill.

In 2019, domestic visitors still made up the lion’s share at over 116 million, a 3.7% increase, with Canada in second place and the United Kingdom in third place. In 2020, there was a 29.7% drop in domestic visitor numbers, a 64.5% drop for Canada, and a 70.4% drop in international.

The most significant change in the last couple of years is the drop in visitor numbers from overseas, particularly in South America, and specifically from Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela. This was partly due to economic and political turmoil coupled with a poor economy and not being part of the US Visa Waiver Program.

For most of 2020 and 2021, the biggest factor was the global COVID-19 pandemic, which struck the USA and effectively put it into lockdown, though this varied by state.

Orlando Visitor Numbers in 2021

With its multiple conference facilities and theme parks, Orlando hosts the largest number of visitors to Florida each year, making tourism the largest private employer in the area.

In recent years, theme parks have seen more significant numbers of spring breakers wishing to spend time in theme parks rather than at beach resorts. Walt Disney World is estimated to receive over 50 million visitors annually, making it the most visited vacation resort globally.

Visit Orlando produces annual visitor statistics, and they estimated there were 59.3 million visitors to Orlando in 2021, a significant increase from 2020 with 35.3 million but well down on the record of over 75 million in 2019 and 2018.

The figure of 59.3 million includes 49.7 million domestic leisure visitors, 7.5 million domestic business visitors, and about 2.1 million overseas visitors.

The Orange County Convention Center saw nearly 1 million visitors, with over 40 million transiting through Orlando International Airport (MCO).

Visitors to Orlando bring in over $4bn in state and local taxes from hotels and businesses.

However, in 2020, that figure crashed to just 35.3 million visitors. International travel was down by 75%, not helped by the travel ban into the USA from so many countries.

Before the pandemic struck in 2019, Orlando witnessed record-breaking numbers: 75.8 million visitors overall, 69.3 million domestic, and 6.5 million overseas, making it the most visited destination in the USA, beating New York.

Orlando International Airport maintained its position as the busiest in Florida, with 50.1 million travelers to the airport, a 6.7% increase in 2018.

Miami Visitor Numbers in 2021

Though Miami lacks theme parks, it still has a lot to offer: great beaches, casinos, cruises to the Caribbean and beyond, culture, and the lure of the Florida Keys.

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau publishes annual visitor numbers to Miami. In 2021, Miami hosted some 24.2 million visitors, matching the pre-pandemic numbers 2019.

8.7 million overnight guests and 3.4 million day trippers were domestic visitors, plus about 3.5 million Florida residents overnight and the same number of day trippers.

There were around 5.1 million international visitors, the largest group were from Columbia with 0.50 million.

Like Orlando and Florida, Miami was also severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in 2020. There were only 11.6 million visitors, 7.9 million overnight, and 3.7 day trippers, 52% down from 2019.

In 2019, there were estimated to be a record 24.2 million visitors, 16.3 million overnight, and 7.9 million day trippers.

In 2018, there were 23.3 million, 16.5 million overnight, and 6.8 million day trippers.

Below, you will find historical figures for Florida for the last couple of years.

Florida Tourism Statistics in 2020

VISIT FLORIDA Research figures for 2020 significantly declined compared to 2019, especially in the second, third, and fourth quarters.

Overall, quarter 1 was down by 14.5%, quarter 2 by a massive 66.6%, and quarter three by 31.4%. Quarter 4 figures showed a drop of 31.9%.

The total number of visitors to Florida in 2020 was just over 79 million, of which over 75 million were from the United States.

The international breakdown by country figures showed significant losses (2019 figures in brackets):

• Canada 1.36 million (4.09 million)
• United Kingdom 0.18 million (1.33 million)
• Brazil 0.29 million (1.30 million)
• Columbia 0.17 million (0.55 million)
• Argentina 0.15 million (0.56 million)

With the closing of the borders to many countries, overseas visitor numbers decreased by around 75%, whereas domestic USA visitor numbers were only down by around 35%.

One of President Donald Trump’s last actions before he left office on January 20, 2021, was to rescind the overseas travel ban that came into effect in early 2020. Still, before it took effect, the new President, Joe Biden, reintroduced it and added another country (South Africa) to the list.

So the question “Is Florida open to visitors?” was a moot point as anyone who had been in the following countries in the last 14 days was still banned from entering the United States:

• China
• Iran
• European Schengen area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City)
• United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
• Republic of Ireland
• Brazil
• South Africa

These bans were finally lifted in November 2021.

Florida Tourism Statistics in 2019

The total number of visitors to Florida in 2019 was over 131 million, of which over 116 million were domestic travelers from the United States. This represented a 3.8% increase on 2018.

Looking at the 2019 international numbers (2018 figures in brackets):

• Canada 4.09 million (3.55 million)
• United Kingdom 1.33 million (1.50 million)
• Brazil 1.30 million (1.22 million)
• Columbia 0.55 million (0.60 million)
• Argentina 0.56 million (0.65 million)

Overseas tourists showed a 0.1% increase compared to 2018.

In prior years, the United Kingdom (UK) was always at the top of the international tourist list behind Canada. Still, in 2011, the UK, at 1.3 million, was knocked off the second spot by Brazil with 1.5 million visitors. Brazil has now slipped back to third place behind the UK.

Comparing these figures from as far back as 2010, the biggest percentage gains came from emerging markets like Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, and Brazil, reflecting the impact of the economic downturn in Western Europe.

Florida Tourism Statistics In Previous Years

The breakdown for 2009 was an estimated 71.2 million domestic (US) visitors plus a further 2.6 million from Canada.

Visitors from the United Kingdom were in third spot with 1.2 million, down 12% from 2008, whereas Brazil was in fourth place with 0.7 million, up 29%. In 2010, Brazil’s visitor numbers topped the 1 million mark.

Tourists spend over $60 billion per annum in Florida, bringing in nearly $4 billion in sales tax revenues (a quarter of all sales tax revenues) and creating over 1 million jobs in the tourist industry.

Another interesting statistic is the amount of money spent by foreign tourists. Again, Brazilians spent far more per person than visitors from the United Kingdom; they spent twice as much, taking advantage of low prices and a favorable exchange rate at the time.

To cater to this increase in Brazilian visitors, all the main theme parks started employing Portuguese-speaking workers and launched websites in Portuguese.