Tag Archives: tourism

Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Record Breaking Tourism Numbers

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From the press office of Governor Ron DeSantis:

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that tourism to Florida has reached unprecedented levels, solidifying Florida’s status as the premier destination for travelers worldwide. Revised figures for 2023 show that Florida welcomed more than 140.6 million visitors, breaking previous records. Additionally, Florida’s first quarter of 2024 hit 40.6 million visitors, the highest ever recorded for a single quarter.

“Once again, Florida leads the nation as an unrivaled destination for tourists,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “These record-breaking numbers show that our work has made the free state of Florida even more attractive to visitors.” 

According to revised figures for 2023, Florida welcomed 140.6 million visitors, marking an increase of 2.3% from 2022’s record-breaking figure and establishing a new benchmark for visitation to the state. Domestic visitation reached an all-time high, with 129.1 million domestic visitors choosing to come to Florida in 2023, along with 8.3 million overseas visitors and 3.2 million Canadian visitors.

The momentum of unprecedented growth carried into the first quarter of 2024, with domestic visitation hitting a new high of 37.2 million, the highest ever recorded for a single quarter. Overseas visitation stood at 2.1 million, and Canadian visitation rose to 1.3 million. The total visitation for Q1 2024 shattered records, with an impressive 40.6 million visitors, a 1.2% year-over-year increase and the highest number of visitors ever received in a single quarter.

“Florida continues to welcome visitors with open arms,” said Dana Young, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA. “The record-breaking visitation seen in 2023 and continued through the first quarter of 2024 reaffirms Florida’s status as a must-visit destination for travelers worldwide.”

Highlights from VISIT FLORIDA’s revised 2023 visitation estimates include:

  • Grand total visitation has been revised from 135.0m (down -1.7% year over year) to 140.6m (up 2.3% YoY), making 2023 another record year for highest visitation ever.
  • Domestic visitation in 2023 was revised from -3.8% YoY to +1.1% YoY, making 2023 the highest level of domestic visitation ever. 

Highlights from VISIT FLORIDA’s Quarter 1 visitation estimates include:

  • Preliminary estimates indicate that 40.6 million total visitors (in person-trips) traveled to Florida in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, a +1.2% increase from Q1 2023. This was the largest number of visitors on record for a single quarter, driven by the continuing recovery of international travel and continued strong domestic performance. Domestic visitors were 91.6% of the total, while overseas visitors accounted for 5.2% and Canadian visitors accounted for 3.2%.
  • Domestic visitation in Q1 2024 is estimated at a record high 37.2 million, a +0.2% increase from Q1 2023.
  • The preliminary air/non-air ratio for domestic, non-resident visitors in Q1 2024 is estimated at 38.2%/61.8%. The share of visitors traveling by air exceeded both Q1 2023 and pre-pandemic Q1 2019.
  • Overseas visitation is estimated at 2.1 million in Q1 2024, an +18.4% increase from Q1 2023. Visitation was down by -6.4% from Q1 2019, marking the closest that overseas visitation has come to full recovery since the onset of the pandemic.
  • Canadian visitation is estimated at 1.3 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 6.9% from Q1 2023.
  • Total enplanements at 19 Florida airports increased by +9.4% in Q1 2024 from Q1 2023, climbing to 30.2 million. 
  • Orlando International was the state’s busiest airport with 7.6 million enplanements (+6.8%), followed by Miami with 7.5 million (+12.1%). The largest relative increase in enplanements was seen at Fort Myers airport (+25.2%), though Tallahassee also saw notable growth (+18.7%). The only airports to see decreases were Sanford (-3.5%) and Daytona (-0.6%).
  • Domestic enplanements at 19 Florida airports grew by +8.9% in Q1 2024 from Q1 2023. Domestic enplanements accounted for 81.6% of total enplanements, down from 82.0% in Q1 2023.

VISIT FLORIDA conducts regular revisions to visitor estimates, ensuring data accuracy as new information is collected and resources are identified. 

As tourism to Florida continues to soar to new heights, these record-breaking figures underscore the state’s unwavering appeal. With unparalleled natural beauty, world-class attractions, and a commitment to freedom, Florida remains a beacon for travelers seeking unforgettable experiences. 

Young At Art: One of Broward’s Top Tourist Attractions?!?

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Hoping to show why Broward County should keep making financial accommodations to the troubled Young At Art(YAA), museum officials will claim to be one of the area’s top economic engines. A  museum insider provided REDBROWARD with the YAA gameplan to combat the controversies and negative press surrounding the taxpayer-funded children’s museum in Davie.

Written in 2015, the YAA playbook was prepared to combat the report from independent consultant Louise Stevens of Artsmarket. Stevens’ report focused on financial problems as well as the controversial Bedlam Lorenz Assembly (BLA) program operated by curator Zack Spechler, the son of YAA CEO Mindy Shrago. The playbook makes no mention of recent controversies exposed by REDBROWARD such as nudity, pornography and topless women.

According to the YAA playbook, “Young At Art provides over $1,500,000.00 Total Economic Benefit to Broward County.” How does YAA come up with this shocking number? It uses a convoluted cost/benefit formula from “American for the Arts.” The playbook states, “[YAA] is an economic driver, supporting jobs and generating government revenue.” 

The playbook claims YAA is responsible for $8,737,704 total expenditures in Broward. YAA claims it’s responsible for 256.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in Broward. YAA claims it generated “559 documented hotel nights at 11 Broward hotels in 2014/15.”

Seriously? Tourists stayed overnight in Broward 559 times to visit the Young At Art museum off 595 in Davie? If you believe that, we will build you a children’s museum, oh wait….

Let’s hope Mindy Shrago and YAA Chairman David Di Pietro have better answers when they appear before the Broward County Commission on Tuesday.

Broward taxpayers deserve real answers.