Florida welcomed 36 million total visitors between January and March 2022 according to VISIT FLORIDA estimates announced on Friday. This is a 14 percent increase from Q4 2021, and 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 solid months of domestic visitation growth from 2019, with no signs of slowing. Orlando’s tourism industry is also having an “exponential rebound.”
“Our Q1 visitation estimates show that 2022 is shaping up to be another amazing year for Florida tourism,” said Dana Young, VISIT FLORIDA President and CEO. “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. VISIT FLORIDA is incredibly proud of its marketing efforts that have gotten us here today, and we thank Governor DeSantis for his unwavering support of our organization and tourism industry.”
Additional highlights from VISIT FLORIDA’s latest visitation estimates include:
- Florida welcomed 1.3 million overseas travelers in Q1 2022, an increase of nearly 169 percent from Q1 2021.
- Overseas visitation to Florida in Q1 2022 was 14 percentage points closer to full recovery than the rest of the United States.
- Canadian visitation to Florida during Q1 2022 accounted for 578,000 visitors, an increase of more than 955 percent from Q1 2021.
- 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. Compared to the same period in 2021, the number of hotel rooms sold grew by 31.4 percent during the first three months of the year. Florida’s average daily rate (ADR) was up over 38 percent, and its occupancy rate increased by nearly 24 percent.
Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond announced this month that Tourist Development Tax collections received by Orange County for the March 2022 TDT collection month were $38,568,500. That is a 118.2% increase over March 2021.
“Florida’s latest visitation estimates are incredible news for our economy and all Floridians,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “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.”
Florida tourism’s sustained record-breaking growth further demonstrates our state’s enduring popularity and leadership in the recovery of the U.S. travel sector. For nearly two years, VISIT FLORIDA’s marketing has drawn travelers from far and wide, rebuilding our No.1 industry to new heights, and gaining a tremendous advantage over our competition. With Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida has transcended the challenges of the pandemic to serve as a role model for tourism and hospitality, and a top global travel destination both in 2022 and beyond.
