Florida Leads as America’s Vacation Destination

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida has reached a historic milestone in tourism, securing an all-time record 15.5% share of the domestic vacation market in 2024, Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week.

This marks a nearly one-point increase from 2023 and further strengthens Florida’s long-standing leadership as the top travel destination in the United States — a trend that began in 2019 and continues to accelerate. This is the sixth time Florida has broken its own tourism record since 2019.

“Florida is the world’s favorite place to visit,” DeSantis said. “This record tourism is a result of policies that prioritize freedom, public safety, and common sense.”

The state’s tourism performance also remains strong on the global stage. In the first two months of 2025, Florida saw:

• A 0.5% increase in Canadian air visitation, outperforming the national trend, which showed a 2.3% decline in Canadian travel to the U.S.
• A 6.5% increase in overseas visitation, with notable gains from the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Argentina.

In February 2025, DeSantis announced that Florida remained the top destination for travelers worldwide, welcoming a record-breaking 142.9 million visitors in 2024. The governor’s office said this figure represents a 1.6% increase over 2023, which previously held the record for the highest annual visitation in the state’s history.

The fourth quarter of 2024 also set a new milestone, drawing 33.1 million visitors — the highest number ever recorded for a Q4 period. This surge in tourism was driven by 29.9 million domestic travelers, 2.5 million overseas visitors, and 742,000 Canadian tourists, highlighting Florida’s continued appeal across both domestic and international markets.

Florida’s tourism sector remains a cornerstone of the state’s economy and a model of sustained success in the global travel industry.

© 2025 Florida Realtors®