Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday that Florida set a new tourism record in 2024, welcoming 142.9 million visitors, surpassing previous records and marking the highest number of travelers in the state’s history.
Nearly 30 million visitors traveled to Florida during the fourth quarter of 2024 alone, with close to 3 million of those being overseas travelers. DeSantis noted the role South Florida played in attracting international tourists, pointing to the region as a major hub for global visitors.
“That is a pretty good increase over 2023 that’s the highest on record, including almost 30 million in the fourth quarter alone, and almost 3 million overseas visitors,” said DeSantis. “And we know a lot of that is here in South Florida. So we’re really excited that our tourism industry is booming.”
The Governor attributed much of Florida’s tourism growth to the state’s open policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. He claimed that the state’s decision to remain open during the height of the pandemic led to an influx of people relocating from states with stricter COVID-19 measures, such as Illinois and New York. Many of these newcomers, according to DeSantis, purchased homes in Florida and embraced the state’s outdoor lifestyle.
“One of the things that was really important … was the fact that we were open during COVID,” he said. “Because what happened was you had people fleeing Illinois, New York, all these places where they had really draconian policies. So they come to Florida. A lot of them just bought houses and decided they’re going to live here.”
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