Rick Scott Announces Record High Tourism So Far in 2013

On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott announced 23.4 million tourists visited Florida in the second quarter of 2013, the second largest quarter ever for tourists and a 2.6 percent increase over the same period in 2012. Scott teamed up with Visit Florida to make the announcement on Wednesday morning.

Todays news from Visit Florida demonstrates Its Working. Floridas tourism industry is critical to Florida families as it serves as a vital source of revenue to the state and a key driver of employment," Scott said. Florida just experienced its largest second-quarter visitation ever, combined with a record first quarter, the Sunshine State is now on pace to generate an unprecedented number of jobs and economic opportunities for Floridas families.

In the first half of 2013, 49.6 million tourists visited Florida, the largest number of tourists ever to visit Florida during a half year period.

Were up nearly 2 million visitors who increased their spending by more than $1.7 billion, said Tammy Gustafson, chairwoman of Visit Floridas board of directors. This continued momentum is a testament to the strength of Visit Floridas marketing efforts, the power of the Sunshine State brand and the dedication of the nearly 1.1 million Floridians who work in the states tourism industry.

Following up two consecutive record years with back-to-back record quarters so far in 2013 proves we are well-positioned to make Florida the No. 1 travel destination in the world, said Will Seccombe, the president and CEO of Visit Florida.