Florida Tourism Grows 3.5 Percent in Third Quarter

Florida had an estimated 21.9 million visitors in the third quarter of 2012, a 3.5 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, according to Visit Florida, the states tourism arm.

Of the visitors, Florida recorded a 5.5 percent increase in overseas visitors and 4 percent growth of Canadian travelers.

The increase, according to numbers in a release from the governors office, translates into 15,000 additional travel-related jobs in Florida, a 1.5 percent increase from the third quarter of 2011.

More visitors to Florida mean more jobs for Florida families, Gov. Rick Scott stated in a release. We still have a lot of work to do, but its clear our economy is headed in the right direction. We will continue to work to grow Floridas tourism industry and create more opportunities for the families of our state.

The quarterly numbers also included a 7.5 percent increase in tourism and recreation taxable sales for the first eight months of the year compared to the same time in 2011.

Hotel occupancy also rose 1.7 percent for the quarter.

Increased sales tax revenue and hotel occupancy rates may not seem flashy, but they are very positive indicators for Florida tourism and the state as a whole, stated Glenn Hastings, chairman of the Visit Florida board of directors and executive director of the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council.
With 30 straight months of job growth in the hospitality sector, Visit Florida and the entire industrys efforts to make the Sunshine State the No. 1 travel destination in the world are providing jobs for more than 1 million Floridians.