FLORIDA TOURISM BREAKS ANOTHER RECORD

Posted on 05/17/2016 | About La Florida, Chile

Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida welcomed the highest number of visitors during the first quarter of the year with 29.8 million tourists who came to Florida. This is an increase of 4.8 percent over the same period last year and exceeds the previous high of 28.5 million in the first quarter of 2015. Despite the low Canadian dollar, 1.6 million Canadians visited the Sunshine State in the first quarter of 2016.

The average number of direct travel-related jobs in the first quarter of 2016 was also a record high, with 1,231,100 Floridians employed in the tourism industry – up 3.8 percent from the same period in 2015. The Florida First budget Governor Scott signed in March invested US $76 million for VISIT FLORIDA to attract even more tourists to the Sunshine State. Governor Scott said, “I’m thrilled that Florida continues to break records in the amount of tourists visiting our state. Nearly 30 million visitors have enjoyed our beautiful beaches and attractions so far this year, and a record high of more than 1.2 million Floridians are employed in the tourism industry – which is great news.

“Last year, we exceeded our goal of an historic 105 million visitors because of Florida’s unique national treasures, and I look forward to smashing our record again this year by welcoming 115 million visitors to the Sunshine State.” Will Seccombe, president and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, said, “Given the challenges our industry is facing – the strong dollar’s impact on Canada and issues in Brazil – this record quarter for Florida tourism is even more exciting. It’s further proof that tourism marketing works. Our strategy of showcasing both the familiar and off-the-beaten-path travel opportunities remind potential visitors that, while Florida is filled with destinations they know and can trust, there is always more to discover.” VISIT FLORIDA estimates that a record 25.6 million domestic visitors travelled to Florida in the first quarter of 2016, which is a 6.6 percent increase over the same period last year. Total enplanements at Florida’s 18 major airports in Q1 2016 equaled 22.3 million, an increase of 1.5 million or 7.0 percent from over the same period last year.

John Tomlin, Chair of the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors, said, “Experiencing the largest quarter for tourism in our state’s history – not just visitation, but jobs as well – shows the vital role our industry plays in Florida’s economic growth. These records would not be possible without the strong industry alignment between VISIT FLORIDA and our tourism Partners, and their continued investment in strengthening Florida’s incredible tourism product.”