The state of Florida experienced the highest amount of tourist money spent in 2023, an achievement Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) touted on social media.
A record-breaking $131 billion was spent by tourists visiting the Sunshine State last year, up by 5% from 2022. The governor took to Facebook to promote the newly confirmed statistics for Florida’s economy, joking that the state’s tourism flourished “despite ‘travel advisories’ issued by left-wing activist groups” on the state.
“Florida can’t be beat,” DeSantis said. “I’m proud of this new record set for the state. Everyone loves the free state of Florida.”
It’s official: Florida just broke the record, again. Last year, we had the highest visitation numbers in state history, and tourists spent a record $131 billion in Florida. That’s an increase of 5% over 2022—despite “travel advisories” issued by left-wing activist groups seeking… pic.twitter.com/lel0oGWZE1
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) December 10, 2024
The governor’s knock against “travel advisories” came after the NAACP issued a travel notice for the state in May 2023, in which the organization said Florida is “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.”
Among more than $131 billion spent by tourists in Florida last year, over $116 billion came from domestic travelers within the United States while almost $15 billion came from international travelers. Additionally, tourism was responsible for 9.5% of jobs within Florida.
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“The numbers speak for themselves: Florida’s tourism industry is unmatched,” Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said. “Thanks to the Governor’s leadership, our state has surpassed expectations year after year.”
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that 140.6 million tourists visited the state of Florida in 2023, almost 130 million of whom were domestic travelers. The remaining tourists were made up of 3.2 million who visited from Canada and 8.3 million who were international tourists.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
