Orlando’s international tourism skyrocketed in 2023

Mardi Gras in Universal Orlando leans heavily on sensory overload.

Thanks, Canada!

Fueled by tourism from the United States’ northern neighbor, an estimated 6.13 million international visitors traveled to Orlando in 2023, according to Visit Orlando this week. That’s a 25% jump from 2022.

It’s good news for the theme park capital of the world after the pandemic and travel restrictions once made it difficult for foreign passengers to reach Florida. The 2023 international numbers equal about 94% of the pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

“We saw strong gains from all of our core international markets, particularly from Canada, which brought in record-breaking visitation numbers,” said Casandra Matej, President and CEO for Visit Orlando, who announced the new figure at U.S. Travel Association’s IPW.

“Orlando’s international growth is a testament to the uniqueness of our unbelievably real destination, the support from our travel trade partners and our emphasis on strategic marketing initiatives to help drive visitation from our key markets.”

Out of the 6.13 million international travelers, about 46%, or nearly 1.3 million, were from Canada. Close to 900,000 were from the United Kingdom, the second-most represented country. Next were Brazil, Mexico and Colombia.

The 25% year-over-year jump is due to Orlando International Airport’s new international direct flights and a more streamlined visa process in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, according to Visit Orlando.

Representatives from Visit Orlando, which receives tourism development tax (TDT) money to promote Central Florida, also said they believe its “Unbelievably Real” marketing campaign efforts — including a widespread “Winter Doesn’t Exist” campaign in cold areas — is driving visitors.

The rising tourism numbers bring challenges too, as Central Florida leaders have voiced concerns about more drivers on the roads and more pressure for public safety. Some argue that TDT money needs to be spent on addressing those problems instead of on more tourism advertisements.

Visit Orlando plans to disclose how many total people visited the City Beautiful at an event later this month. The question remains whether Orlando holds the crown for the most visited destination in the United States.