Tourism in Florida is experiencing significant growth, with a record number of visitors reported for the second quarter of 2025. According to Visit Florida, approximately 34.435 million people traveled to the state from April 1 through June 30, a slight increase from 34.279 million during the same timeframe in 2024. This surge is largely attributed to an increase in domestic travelers, while the number of Canadian visitors continues to decline.
U.S. travelers accounted for 31.499 million of the total, representing 91.5% of all visitors. This marks a small rise from 31.419 million in the second quarter of 2024. In contrast, overseas visitors numbered 2.295 million, reflecting an impressive 11.4% increase compared to the previous year. Despite these gains, the estimated 640,000 Canadian visitors during this period marked a concerning 20% drop from 2024.
Strategies to Offset Declines
Bryan Griffin, President and CEO of Visit Florida, addressed the agency’s Executive Committee, noting that while Canadian visitors are currently down, the state is successfully attracting travelers from other international markets, including Brazil. Griffin emphasized the importance of monitoring these trends and possibly reallocating marketing efforts to sustain the positive influx of visitors from overseas.
Historically, Florida’s tourism sector has faced challenges in recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second quarter of 2025, overseas travelers represented 6.7% of total visitors, compared to 7.4% in 2019, before the pandemic. Meanwhile, Canadian visitors fell from 3.11% in 2019 to approximately 1.9% this year.
Factors contributing to this decline include recent controversies surrounding U.S.-Canada relations, such as tariffs imposed by the U.S. and comments from former President Donald Trump regarding the annexation of Canada. These issues may have influenced the decision of Canadians to travel less frequently to Florida.
Overall Tourism Trends
In the first half of 2025, Florida attracted an estimated 75.394 million tourists, reflecting a slight decrease of 0.1% compared to the same period in 2024. This adjustment follows a revision of the initial first-quarter visitor estimates, which were lowered from 41.193 million to 40.959 million.
The state’s budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026, which commenced on July 1, includes $80 million allocated to Visit Florida, maintaining funding levels from the previous year. As the state continues to adapt to changing travel patterns, efforts to attract a broader range of international visitors remain a priority for Florida’s tourism industry.