Visit Florida says 36 million people visited the Sunshine State between January and March 2022- a 14 percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2021. It's the third consecutive quarter that overall visitation has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Approximately 34.1 million domestic visitors traveled to Florida in Q1 2022, representing twelve months of domestic visitation growth from 2019 with no signs of slowing.
“Florida’s latest visitation estimates are incredible news for our economy and all Floridians,” Governor Ron DeSantis said. “Economists originally projected that Florida tourism wouldn’t fully recover until 2024, but quarter after quarter, despite the Biden administration’s utter failure to manage inflation and the nation’s supply chain woes, Florida’s visitation numbers continue to break records and defy conventional wisdom. Florida’s tourism industry begins 2022 with incredible strength, proving that freedom first policies will always win, especially when combatting the inept economic policies coming out of D.C.”
“Our Q1 visitation estimates show that 2022 is shaping up to be another amazing year for Florida tourism,” VISIT FLORIDA President and CEO Dana Young said. “In addition to breaking more pre-pandemic records domestically, we are seeing an exponential rebound in Orlando as well as our international numbers, which we expect to continue in the months ahead."
Over 39 percent of visitors traveled to Florida by plane in Q1 2022, marking the highest share for air travel since the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Total enplanements in Florida were up over 70 percent in the first quarter of 2022. Quarterly hotel demand in Florida exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time in Q1 2022.
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