Florida’s tourism industry is hotter than a scorching sidewalk on a summer afternoon.
According to the Florida Tourism Office, Florida welcomed 40.6 million tourists from January through March, the most ever for a quarter. Revised figures show that about 140.6 million people will visit Florida in 2023, a new record for the state and a 2.3% increase from 2022 visitor numbers.
“Florida once again leads the nation as an unmatched destination for tourists,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “These record-breaking numbers show that our efforts have made the Free State of Florida an even more desirable place for visitors.”
With summer underway, tourism shows no signs of slowing down, as the state continues to be a popular travel destination thanks to its beaches, theme parks, nightlife and other attractions.
“Florida continues to warmly welcome visitors,” said Dana Young, president and CEO of the Florida Tourism Board. “Record numbers of visitors in 2023 and continuing into the first quarter of 2024 reaffirm Florida’s status as a must-visit destination for travelers from around the world.”
About 37.2 million domestic visitors came to Florida in the first quarter of this year, the highest number of domestic visitors ever recorded in a quarter, according to Visit Florida. About 2.1 million came from international countries and about 1.3 million came from Canada.
Florida’s theme parks, especially those in the Orlando area, are a major factor in the state’s booming tourism industry, and with school out for the summer, more travelers are expected to visit the state’s many theme parks.
The International Amusement Parks Association expects attendance at North American theme parks to increase 2% this year.
“As the weather gets warmer, many people are thinking about traditional summer vacations,” said Jacob Wall, president and CEO of IAAPA. “Consumers are shifting spending from material items to investing in travel and memories with family.”
Florida theme parks are seeing a surge in attendance as new rides and attractions open this summer, especially at DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Orlando, which opens Friday, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom, which has its grand opening June 28.
Florida airports have also been very busy so far this year.
According to the Florida Tourism Office, Florida’s 19 airports saw a 9.4% increase in passengers boarding aircraft in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter of 2023. Domestic passenger numbers at Florida’s 19 airports increased 8.9% from January to March of this year compared to the same period last year.
Orlando International Airport was the state’s busiest airport during the first quarter, with Miami International Airport in second place.
MCO carried about 7.6 million passengers, up 6.8% from the first quarter of 2023. MIA carried about 7.5 million passengers from January through March of this year, up about 12.1% from the first quarter of 2023, according to Visit Florida.
Airport officials don’t expect a drop in passenger numbers over the summer.
MIA’s summer travel season kicked off over Memorial Day weekend, and this year it’s off to a big start.
The airport handled about 160,000 passengers per day over the holiday weekend, and passenger numbers are expected to rise 10% this summer to surpass last year’s record.
Tampa International Airport expects about 3.4 million passengers during the summer travel period, which begins Memorial Day weekend and runs through mid-August.
TPA expects passenger numbers to increase by about 4% to about 71,000 per day compared to the same period in 2023.
Locally, Groome Transportation’s business grows each year as more people move to the area or travel within and outside the state.
The transportation company, which provides airport shuttle service to and from Orlando International Airport and picks up customers at depot stations in Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing and Brownwood and transports them to their homes, has added more shuttles and services to meet growing demand with Florida’s travel industry.
Groom has gone from running home pickups and shuttles once an hour to running two trips per hour, and is now running about 43 trips per day to meet demand, said Josten Rowan, district manager for the Florida market for Groom Transportation.
The company had a busy period earlier in the summer over Memorial Day weekend, when shuttle buses filled up and staff had to stop booking customers, Rowan said.
The Fourth of July weekend is when business picks up again with holiday travelers.
“The summer months are usually pretty stable,” Rowan said.
Senior writer Summer Jarro can be reached at 352-753-1119, extension 5404 or summer.jarro@thevillagesmedia.com
