Florida tourism jumped in last few months before delta deluge
More visitors flocked to Florida this spring — just before COVID-19 hospitalizations surged amid the spread of the delta variant — than in the first quarter of the year, a new study shows.
Florida attracted 31.7 million visitors from April 1 to June 30, a 16.3% increase from the first three months of the year and 2.2% below where the state was in 2019, according to data from Visit Florida.
Miami hotel occupancy and airport arrivals picked up in the second quarter as well. Average June hotel occupancy in Miami-Dade reached 72.2%, nearly matching its pre-pandemic level. From April 1 to June 30, MIA had 4,784,983 arrivals, up 58.7% from the first quarter of the year.
To attract visitors to Miami, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau has focused on South Florida’s outdoor activities. Last year, the CVB launched a campaign called “Miami Land” using $5 million in federal COVID-19 relief money to promote the county’s parks and natural attractions.
Such efforts, along with similar state-wide campaigns, have helped broadcast to the country that Florida is open for tourism, said Dana Young, Visit Florida President and CEO.
“These efforts have also been crucial for conveying the safety and diversity of our state, which is home to infinite vacation options from coast to coast. Moving forward, VISIT FLORIDA remains wholly focused on driving even more success for Florida’s tourism economy and showcasing everything our great state has to offer to travelers,” she said in a statement.
Just 3.5% of visitors to Florida from April 1 to June 30 were international, up from 0.1% in the first quarter. Decimated by COVID-19, international travel has rebounded fastest at MIA. From January to June of this year, MIA saw more international passengers than any other airport in the country, said Chris Mangos, the airport’s marketing director. Before the pandemic, MIA ranked third for international passengers, behind JFK and LAX.
The second quarter increase in visitors came just before COVID-19 hospitalizations surged in Florida, driven by the more dangerous delta variant among mostly unvaccinated people. Some indoor venues, including many Miami hotels and Walt Disney theme parks, have begun requiring visitors to wear masks while indoors.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this story.
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 5:14 PM.
