Record-breaking tourism in Florida driven by US visitors

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla.—Florida's tourism industry is booming, with new figures revealing a surge in domestic travel to the Sunshine State. Over 90% of these visitors are from the United States, setting a new record.

Fort Myers Beach is feeling the impact of this tourism boom. Resorts there are noticing the increase in visitors and hope to maintain this momentum.

"Season is officially here for us," said Gary Lee, Director of Rooms at Pink Shell Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach. "Presidents' Day weekend is full throttle all the way through Easter. And you know, our numbers are good. You know, anywhere from five to six, 700 guests on property."

Preliminary data from Visit Florida showed the state welcomed a record 143.3 million visitors in 2025, marking a slight increase from the previous year. The Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce confirmed an uptick in tourism from 2024 and 2025.

"I feel like, since all the devastating changes that they had, it was down for a while," said Joanne Lyons, who was visiting relatives. "But I feel like, as it's rebuilding, this is a place that everybody wants to come to."

Domestic travelers accounted for 91.5% of all visits, totaling 131.1 million Americans who chose Florida for their vacation.

"The domestic folks are doing such a great job of coming down, and you know, wanting a break," Lee said. "You know it's cold all the way down through North Florida. So even those folks we're seeing down here, and you know, the farther south they can come, the better."

Jane Zima, another visitor, expressed happiness over the influx of tourists.

"It's great, because it's great for the business, for the locals," Zima said. "I mean, they've been through so much, and it is really nice to be able to see that everybody is back, to see it, and new people."

Final numbers are expected later this spring, but early estimates indicate that domestic tourism continues to drive Florida's record-breaking year.