Gabrielle Russon
An estimated 75.3 million tourists visited Orlando last year — a nearly 2% increase from 2023 — allowing the city to keep its crown as the No. 1 most visited U.S. city, Visit Orlando said.
“Every January, visitation starts at zero — and through strategic marketing and the strength of our world-class experiences, we welcome millions of visitors each year,” said Visit Orlando President and CEO Casandra Matej, who announced the tourism numbers during an event for National Travel & Tourism Week.
“This level of visitation means that visitors to our destination are fueling our economy — supporting local businesses, which in turn creates jobs and pathways to advancement, and helps residents sustain a quality of life rarely found in cities of our size.”
Visit Orlando said international tourism is rebounding from the pandemic, growing about 6% in 2024 compared to 2023 and making up about 6.5 million visitors.
For international tourists coming to Orlando, Canada remains king. Nearly 1.3 million Canadians traveled to Orlando last year. That’s followed by the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and the Blue Man Group, which is reopening a new show in Orlando, were on hand for Thursday’s announcement.
Looking ahead, 2025 could continue to be a big year for Orlando tourism.
Epic Universe officially holds its grand opening May 22, although the park has been in soft opening mode for weeks. Disney World, which is offering Summer deals, continues to be busy. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay are also investing in new rides and events.
The millions of visitors — and the millions of dollars in hotel taxes they pay — are being hotly debated by state lawmakers.
The Legislature is expected to resume budget talks later this month. Both the House and Senate tax proposals are seeking to tap into the tourist development tax (TDT) to lower property taxes or pay for public transportation and other needs.
Some visitors bureaus and some local leaders are fighting to keep the TDT status quo, which requires much of those collections to pay for tourism ads.
