Florida tourism surpassed pre-pandemic arrival numbers for the first time during the third quarter, with more than 32.5 million visiting the Sunshine State from July to September, according to Visit Florida.
That figure is slightly higher than the 32.4 million recorded in Q3 2019 but was enough to draw an enthusiastic response from Florida tourism officials.
"Visit Florida and its tourism partners around the state continued to deliver outstanding results for Florida tourism in Q3 2021, with total visitation surpassing 2019's for the first time since the pandemic began," said Dana Young, Visit Florida president and CEO.
"Though the ever-evolving nature of the pandemic may continue to pose challenges, the steps we have taken as an industry and as a state have put us in the best possible position to overcome anything that comes our way. Looking ahead, Visit Florida will only be hitting the accelerator as we reenter the global travel arena and the lucrative winter travel season."
The 32.5 million visitors also represented a 60.4% jump from the previous third quarter. It includes 31.2 million domestic visitors, 1.23 million overseas tourists and 85,000 visitors from Canada, which are counted separately from other international visitors.
Through the first nine months of 2021, domestic tourism is 56% ahead of 2020 numbers, and overseas tourism is up 31%. Canadian visitor numbers, however, are down 89%.
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UPDATED: This report was updated on Dec. 14 to indicate that the third-quarter arrival numbers marked the first time that Florida had surpassed pre-pandemic levels for a three-month reporting period.