DeSantis: Florida's Freedom Policies Attract Record Visitors

Visitors are flocking to Florida, where the state has set a record number for the third quarter of the year because it is a "beacon of freedom for travelers," Gov. Ron DeSantis, a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, announced Thursday. 

New state numbers reveal that 35.1 million people visited the Sunshine State between July and September, including 32.2 million domestic visitors, 2.2 million overseas visitors, and 666,000 people from Canada, DeSantis said in a statement. 

The records are being broken because Florida is "allowing visitors to enjoy their travels without arbitrary government restrictions," he said, adding that the state "will continue to be a beacon of freedom for travelers."

Further, Florida is continuing to outperform overall annual visitation records, with 105.2 million visitors so far this year, some 724,000 more than during the first nine months of 2022.

Dana Young, president and CEO of Visit Florida, said the agency's efforts, along with those of local tourism partners, are not just spotlighting Florida's beauty, but have fueled growth in visits from global travelers. 

"Because of the visionary leadership of Governor DeSantis, whose Freedom First policies led our state to record numbers of visitors in the past, Florida has secured a new normal with an elevated market share of tourism, especially international tourism," Young said.

Visit Florida’s latest visitation estimates also include several highlights:

• Travel spending in Florida is up 11.3% compared to Q3 2019, while the U.S. as a whole was up only 3.9%. Travel spending in California and New York dropped by 3.2% and 1.2% respectively, during the same period.
• The number of overseas and Canadian visitors in 2023 has increased by 19.3% and 60.3%, respectively, from the same period in 2022. The total percentage increase of all visitors is up 0.7% from the first nine months of 2022.
• Domestic visitors accounted for 91.8% of visitors to Florida in the third quarter of 2023, while overseas visitors accounted for 6.3% and Canadians, for 1.9%.

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