Florida tourism explodes with 143 million visitors last year, Gov. DeSantis celebrates: “Top travel destination in the nation”
Florida – Florida’s tourism engine didn’t slow down in 2025, and preliminary numbers released by VISIT FLORIDA and revealed by Governor Ron DeSantis point to another record-breaking year for the state’s visitor economy.
Over the course of the year, almost 143.3 million people traveled to Florida, breaking the previous record from 2024. The last quarter alone pulled in 33.5 million tourists, making it Florida’s busiest fourth quarter ever. That late-year spike was 0.6 percent higher than the same time in 2024, showing that the tourism market continues to expand even if it is already mature.
Domestic travel continued to dominate. In 2025, 131.1 million people visited the state, and 91.5 percent of them were Americans. There were 9.3 million visits from people from other countries, and 2.9 million visits from Canadians. This is in line with the long-standing pattern of Canada making up about two percent of all visits.
International markets grew a lot. All five of Florida’s top five foreign origin countries saw year-over-year growth. Brazil’s number of visitors to Florida went up by 10.4%, Argentina’s went up by 17.8%, and Spain’s went up by 10.4%. These three nations are now in the top ten countries sending visitors to Florida. Brazil is currently the second biggest foreign source of visitors to the state. Markets across Europe, such the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, also showed strength.
Airport traffic mirrored the tourism surge. In the last three months of 2025, 19 Florida airports saw 27.4 million passengers, which is 2.8% more than the same time last year. Overall, 35.8% of domestic visitors traveled by air and 64.2% by land. This is a small decrease from 2024, when more people chose to fly.
Governor DeSantis said that smart investments in infrastructure, public safety, and caring for the environment had helped keep Florida’s appeal.
“Florida continues to set the standard as the top travel destination in the nation, welcoming millions of visitors while delivering real economic benefits for our residents,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.
“Through strategic investments in infrastructure, public safety, and environmental stewardship, we are ensuring that Florida remains a place where families can vacation with confidence and where our tourism industry can continue to thrive.”
Bryan Griffin, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, talked about how important local companies, attractions, hotels, and restaurants are to maintaining the state competitive in a congested tourist market. The Florida Department of Commerce’s Secretary J. Alex Kelly said that more tourists means more jobs, local businesses, and community development across the state.
Data on travel behavior shows that value remains important when making decisions. A recent study on marketing effectiveness indicated that travelers who knew about VISIT FLORIDA’s advertising were 23 points more inclined to say that Florida is an excellent place to spend money.
The final numbers for visits are likely to be confirmed later this spring, but the early numbers make one thing clear: Florida continues to be the most popular place for people from the United States to travel and a top choice for people from other countries.
