Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced that Florida welcomed 30.9 million visitors between October and December 2021, marking the second consecutive quarter that overall visitation has surpassed 2019, pre-pandemic levels.
Overall in 2021, Florida had nearly 118 million domestic visitors, the highest level in state history, as residents of other states flocked to Florida as a refuge from lockdown policies.
“In Florida, we put freedom first, and as a result people are choosing to vacation in our state from across the country and the world to escape lockdowns, including the politicians who advocated for those reckless policies and who are often spotted vacationing here,” said DeSantis. “While tourism in other states is only just beginning to recover, Florida is at the front of the pack — now we are surpassing pre-pandemic levels and setting new visitation records. I’m thankful that VISIT FLORIDA continued to market our state throughout the past two years, and I am confident that 2022 will be another great year for Florida’s tourism industry.”
The governor also announced:
- Preliminary estimates from VISIT FLORIDA show that 29 million domestic visitors traveled to Florida in the fourth quarter of 2021, reflecting a 57 percent increase from the same period in 2020, and a 7 percent increase from 2019.
- In addition, 359,000 Canadian travelers visited Florida between October and December of 2021, nearly three times as many as in the previous quarter.
- For the year, Latin America was the driving force of overseas visitation in 2021, with Colombia becoming the state’s No. 1 international market with a record 710,000 visitors.
- In addition, Florida’s total hotel revenue reached its highest ever in 2021 at $17.3 billion, a 2 percent increase over 2019.