STATE SEEKS TO END FAMU DISCRIMINATION CASE

JIM SAUNDERS NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

come as Visit California also touts spending by tourists, which is expected to hit $154.4 billion this calendar year. The California tourism agency has received $95 million for marketing from lawmakers.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, travel spending in 2022 hit $122.9 billion in Florida, 9 percent higher than in 2019.

New York hit $100 billion in travel spending last year, 12 percent higher than in 2019. New York City alone had 54 million visitors in 2022, below its 66.6 million visitors in 2019. New York City Tourism + Conventions, the city’s tourism agency, anticipates reaching 63.3 million tourists this year.

Florida’s overall marketing plan will remain heavily focused on U.S. travelers, who have bolstered the state’s tourism numbers since businesses started to reopen in 2020 after a pandemic shutdown. Laiken said the plan will be more regionally focused than a “one-size-fits-all approach.”

“Our storytelling will expand awareness of vacation possibilities in Florida,” Laiken said. “We will reinforce the beaches and theme parks, while encouraging travelers to experience the limitless adventures that await and allow them to see new Florida with each return visit, including adventures such as hiking, biking and kayaking. And additionally, we will continue to recognize Florida as a top origin market and foster greater in-state travel.”

Visit Orlando estimated the Central Florida community drew 74 million visitors last year, most from other parts of Florida.

Laiken said a “significant” amount of Florida’s tourism-marketing dollars will be directed toward attracting international travelers, who in the past on average stayed for longer periods and spent more money. But Laiken said no hard budget figures have been “put down” for international marketing.

Jacob Pewitt Yancey, Visit Florida director of consumer insights and analytics, said the state has seen a slight increase in younger families traveling to Florida since the start of the pandemic, and average trips by people from other states have been extended.

“Throughout 2021 and into 2022, domestic visitors behaved more like international visitors than they typically do,” Pewitt Yancey said. “They increased their average length of stay by a day or two. And they increased the amount of money that they were spending per person per day by up to $100, compared to what it had been prior to the pandemic.”