A record 126.1 million tourists visited Florida in 2018, which is 6.2% more than 118.8 million visitors in 2017.
The Department of Economic Opportunity estimates that as of February 2020, 1.3 million of the 9.1 million people employed in Florida have jobs. related to the tourism industry4, which contribute $85.9 billion to the state’s GDP.
Florida is known for its kilometers of sandy beaches and crystal clear water.Visitors from all over the world are attracted by the state’s 2,200 miles of coastline and 663 miles of beaches. More than 25% of all visitors indicated that relaxing on the beach and on the waterfront is the main activity in Florida.
Florida, home to eight of the top 20 amusement parks in North America and three of the top 20 water parks in the world, welcomes millions of families to its amusement parks and theme parks every year.In 2018, about 75 million people visited the Orlando area, where most of these parks are concentrated and where thousands of Florida residents work. Walt Disney World is the largest individual employer in the country, having spent more than $2.7 billion on payroll in 2018 for 75,000 employees.
According to a 2019 Cruise Lines International Association study, the Florida cruise industry generated 12.4 million passenger and crew visits, accounting for nearly 50% of all passenger and crew visits in the United States.The expenses of passengers and crews on land amounted to just over $ 1.2 billion.Total passenger and crew expenses in Florida increased by 15% in 2018 compared to 201610.