Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that would extend Visit Florida as the state funded destination marketing organization through October 1, 2028. The bill is a win for Florida’s tourism industry that relies on the State DMO to help attract the more than 122 million visitors to Florida each year.

Tourists account for nearly US $100 billion in consumer spending in Florida and for every dollar the state spends on Visit Florida, an additional $3.27 has been returned to the state economy.

Florida’s tourism industry is a key driver of the state’s $1.23 trillion economy and a big reason why Florida remains an income tax-free state. In the last two quarters, and despite the lack of typical influx of international visitors due to an ever-evolving pandemic, Florida had a higher turnout of visitors than it did in the same time frame of 2019.

Visit Florida’s aggressive marketing campaigns across the country promoting Florida as being open for business contributed significantly to this growth.

Despite the setback of the pandemic, Florida is committed to the 2030 Blueprint goal of Florida being the #1 state for international visitors.

The proposed budget for 2022-2023 includes $50 million to fund Visit Florida’s marketing efforts. It received $80 million for the current fiscal year, which included $30 million in federal stimulus money.