Florida attracted an estimated 94.7 million tourists last year, about a 3.5 percent increase over 2012. The figure marks the third consecutive year the state has posted a record number of visitors.
Visit Florida, the state’s tourism arm, estimated there were 91.4 million visitors in 2012 and 85.9 million in 2011.The bulk of the visitors are from the other states and U.S. territories, with the total growing 2.5 percent in year-to-year comparisons. Visit Florida also estimates that there were 3.7 million Canadian visitors, a 4.1 percent increase, and 11.5 million visitors from overseas, a jump of 11.1 percent. The tourism number doesn’t include the projected 20.1 million in-state trips taken by Floridians in 2013.
Gov. Rick Scott, who has requested a $35 million increase in state funding for Visit Florida next year, to $100 million, announced the annual tourism figures during an appearance at Universal Orlando Resorts. Universal said the company will add nearly 3,500 new jobs this year as it expands in Central Florida. The company is constructing the Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Diagon Alley, a new onsite hotel and expanding the CityWalk Entertainment complex.
