Drew Dixon
Tourists spent more money in Florida in 2023 than they ever have before according to the latest tourism report from the state.
Gov. Ron DeSantis detailed this week that there was $131 billion spent in the state by tourists in 2023, a new record for Florida. That figure is a 5% jump over 2022, which was a state record then.
While there were more tourism dollars spent in Florida last year, that also meant more tax revenue generated for the state as a result of all that money flowing from visitors to the Sunshine State. An estimated $36.9 billion was generated in tax revenue from tourism spending. That revenue came from multiple levels of taxation on tourism dollars including local, state and federal tax revenue.
“Florida can’t be beat,” said DeSantis. “I’m proud of this new record set for the state. Everyone loves the free state of Florida.”
One of the key elements attributed to the tourism industry uptick last year was economic impact. In 2023 there was an estimated $127.7 billion in economic impact on the state which is also a 5% jump from the previous year.
Every single day in 2023, it’s estimated visitors to the state spent a collective $359 million in the state and for every dollar spent by a tourist, Florida retained 97 cents. Out of that, 58 cents on each dollar spent went to worker salaries with another 13 cents funneled into state and local taxes.
The Governor’s report also noted that tourism is a huge reason why Florida’s unemployment rate of 3.3% remains consistently below the national jobless figure of 4.1%. Tourism accounts for 9.5% of all jobs in Florida racking up 2.1 million jobs while generating an estimated $76.4 billion in wages throughout the Sunshine State.
“The numbers speak for themselves: Florida’s tourism industry is unmatched. Thanks to the Governor’s leadership, our state has surpassed expectations year after year,” said Dana Young, President and CEO of Visit Florida, the state’s tourism bureau. “These incredible achievements reflect the dedication of our tourism partners and the unwavering appeal of Florida as the top destination in the world.”
