Florida Gov. DeSantis touts record tourism numbers despite travel warnings

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced that the state’s second-quarter tourism numbers were the greatest in the state’s history.

In a news release, DeSantis’ office explained that Florida had 34.2 million visitors during the second quarter of 2024 — a 1.7% increase over the same period last year.

“Florida continues to set the standard as the top destination for tourists,” DeSantis said. “These impressive numbers reflect the success of our efforts to prioritize public safety, freedom and common-sense leadership. These priorities make the Free State of Florida a most appealing place to visit.”

Even foreign tourism grew as compared to the same timeframe last year, with 2 million overseas visitors and around 739,000 Canadian travelers, the release stated.

The news comes after several groups — including the Human Rights Campaign and the NAACP — issued travel advisories in the face of recent legislation enacted by state lawmakers.

“Evidently, no one cares about the ‘travel advisories’ from left-wing activist groups,” DeSantis wrote.

Statewide, Orlando International Airport was the busiest airport during the quarter, with 7.5 million enplanements, the release shows. Miami followed close behind with 7.1 million.

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