Visit Florida Reports Increases in Visitors, Travel Spending, Travel Jobs

According to preliminary estimates released by Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, 23.4 million visitors came to Florida in the first quarter of 2012 (January to March), an increase of 2.4 percent over the same period in 2011.

Direct travel-related employment in Florida also rose 1.9 percent to 1,027,500, adding 19,200 jobs since this time last year and representing the largest employment total since the first quarter of 2008.

An estimated 19.7 million domestic visitors came to Florida during the first quarter of 2012, representing a 1.2 percent increase from the same period in 2011. Florida experienced a 2.7 percent increase in Canadian visitors at 1.4 million, and a 13 percent increase in overseas visitors with 2.4 million in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011.

Primary data collected at Florida’s 14 major airports in the first quarter of 2012 reflect a 2.5 percent increase in total enplanements from the same period in 2011. Tourism and recreation taxable sales for Florida increased year-over-year in January and February 2012 (last reported month), representing an 8.7 percent increase over the same period in 2011.

The Average Daily Room Rate rose 5.7 percent and the occupancy rate for Florida hotels increased 2.7 percentage points in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011.

http://www.travelpulse.com/visit-florida-reports-increases-in-visitors-travel-spending-travel-jobs.html