The number of tourists in Florida decreases during 2023

Miami Florida It is one of the main tourist destinations in the United States, recognized for its warm climate, paradisiacal beaches and theme parks. However, there was a slight decrease in the number of tourists who visited the Sunshine State in 2023, compared to 2022, as revealed by the state tourism marketing agency Visit Florida.

It is estimated that the Florida entity received approximately 135.02 million tourists in 2023, which represents a notable decrease in the arrival of travelers, compared to the 137.4 million reported in 2022.

Even so, these data reflected in 2023 exceed those observed in 2019, the year in which 131.1 million travelers were reported in Florida.

Increase in foreign visitors

Despite this decline, one of the relevant aspects highlighted in the report is the increase in international tourists and an increase in air travel.

The website reported that during the last quarter of 2023 there was a 15.9% increase in the number of foreign visitors and a 22% increase in Canadian tourists, in balance with the same period the previous year.

The entity reported a total of 8.31 million international visitors and 3.822 million Canadians in 2023, sums that exceeded the 7 million and almost 2.63 million in 2022, respectively.

Regarding air traffic, the data showed that the state has experienced a significant increase in total domestic visits of 37.3%, which represents the highest percentage since 2016.

On the other hand, the state company indicated that the influx of domestic travelers presented a reduction of 12.1%, taking into account the 122.89 million American tourists who visited Florida in 2023, compared to the 127.8 million in 2022 and 117.2 million in 2019.

Likewise, they highlighted that for the fourth quarter of 2023 there were 29.8 million tourists, a figure that did not reach the 32.9 million recorded during the same time in 2022. Which shows a change in travel preferences or behaviors amid evolving global circumstances.

Gradual recovery

Analysts assured that despite this slight decrease, local tourism in the entity has shown a gradual recovery after the recovery from the country’s high levels of inflation and the post-pandemic effects.

“Visit Florida’s efforts, in conjunction with local tourism partners, do more than highlight the unparalleled beauty of the Sunshine State, but have also driven growth in visitation from global travelers,” said Visit Florida President and CEO , Dana Young, last November.

He added that despite facing economic challenges, “tourism in the region has had a remarkable performance.”

However, experts blamed intensifying competition from other states and countries that had the longest travel restrictions during the pandemic for fluctuations in Florida’s tourism numbers.

They highlighted that after the relief of these measures, Visit Florida focused on attracting visitors from other countries, aligning with the perception that they contribute significantly to the state’s economy by making longer stays and generating greater spending during their visit.

Designation of disputed funds

Budget planning for the 2024-2025 fiscal period on the designation of funds for the recovery of the sector has become a focus of discussion between levels of government. While the state Senate suggested allocating Visit Florida $80 million while maintaining current funding, the House proposed reducing it to $30 million.

For his part, Governor Ron DeSantis advocated an increase to $105 million as an engine to boost the tourism sector in Florida.

These considerations highlighted the importance of continued investment in tourism marketing efforts so that the Sunshine State continues to stand out as one of the country’s top travel destinations.

@Lydr05

FOUNTAIN: With information from Infobae and ABC