Industry experts expect the state’s tourism numbers to remain strong this year, with a record 142.9 million visitors in 2024.
However, there are other paintings in the local counties. Along the space coast, the Brevard County Tourism Department predicts that local tourism could decline due to economic uncertainty.
The County Tourism Development Council (TDC) said tourism development tax collection fell by 7% in February compared to 2024.
Local hotels also noticed a decline in bookings compared to last year. Officials at Brevard County TDC report that consumers booking hotels in advance in popular tourist areas such as Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral are also declining compared to last year.
Tourism officials in Brevard County, as well as South Florida, say they are monitoring how the economy goes. Decreased consumer reliability. And with current trade tariffs being implemented by the Trump administration, we are worried about Canadians who may not choose to come to the US frequently.
TDC officials say their concerns will become a reality once they notice a further decline in tax revenue collected from bed and hotel taxes.
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Local tourists hope to have proposed funding by visiting Florida to attract visitors to the state.
Travel agents say that slowing down domestic and international travel in the US would have a negative impact on Florida.
For now, travel to international states remains a goal for growth, but much remains with potential impacts from tariffs and other policies.
Some international flight bookings to the US saw a significant drop that could affect Florida’s international tourism.
A study commissioned by the Tourism Bureau found that tourists coming to Brevard County benefited from 46,000 direct and spin-off jobs, with tourism-related wages of $1.5 billion per year. Approximately 30% of the sales tax and 20% of the gas tax collected in Brevard County are paid by tourists.
