Florida continued its run of record-setting tourism numbers with 126.1 million out-of-state visitors during 2018.
It marks the eighth record year in a row with 2018 growth of 6.2%.
The preliminary estimate showed 111.8 million domestic visits, which is up 7.1% although overseas visitors not including Canada declined slightly by 1%.
This came despite negative media due to Hurricane Michael damage and the toxic red tide and algae outbreaks, said Dana Young, new president and CEO of Visit Florida.
"With today’s announcement of an eighth consecutive record-breaking year, it’s clear that by focusing on value and data-driven campaigns, Visit Florida and the tourism industry have achieved unprecedented success," Young said.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has recommended maintaining Visit Florida’s state funding of $76 million for the next fiscal year which begins in July.
