Tallahassee, FL — Florida has reached a new milestone in domestic tourism, capturing a record 15.5% share of the U.S. vacation market in 2024, according to an announcement from Governor Ron DeSantis. The figure marks an increase of nearly one percentage point from 2023 and continues the state’s trend of leading the nation in tourism—a position it has held since 2019.
This achievement represents the sixth time Florida has surpassed its own tourism record during DeSantis’s tenure as governor.
“Florida is the world’s favorite place to visit,” said DeSantis in a statement. He attributed the growth in tourism to state policies that emphasize “freedom, public safety, and common sense.”
Florida’s tourism industry also showed strong performance in international markets during the early months of 2025. Data from January and February show:
- A 0.5% increase in Canadian air travel to Florida, bucking a national trend that saw a 2.3% decline in Canadian travel to the U.S.
- A 6.5% increase in overseas visitors, with significant gains from countries including the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Argentina.
In February, DeSantis announced that Florida welcomed a record 142.9 million visitors in 2024, a 1.6% increase from 2023. The fourth quarter of 2024 also saw unprecedented numbers, with 33.1 million visitors—the highest Q4 total on record. Of these, 29.9 million were domestic travelers, 2.5 million came from overseas, and 742,000 visited from Canada.
Florida’s tourism industry continues to serve as a major driver of the state’s economy and remains a key player in the global travel sector.
