(Tallahassee, Fla.) – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is thrilled at Governor Rick Scott’s announcement today that 31.1 million people visited the state during the first three months of 2017. Compared with the same period last year, this is 2.5 percent increase. In 2016, Florida welcomed a record number of tourists with 112.8 million visitors to the state.
“Florida’s hospitality industry is delighted with Governor Rick Scott’s announcement today proclaiming 31.1 million visitors in the first quarter of 2017. This announcement comes at a critical time when lawmakers recently passed a budget with a 67% cut to VISIT FLORIDA’s budget. Not only do our hotels and restaurants rely on tourist spending to support their employees, the overall health of Florida’s economy depends on visitors selecting the Sunshine State as their leading destination,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the FRLA.
According to the Office of Economic Demographic Research’s Return on Investment study of VISIT FLORIDA, for every $1 the state invests in VISIT FLORIDA, the state sees a $3.20 return.
The FRLA represents and serves more than 10,000 independent and household name members across the state, including hotels, restaurants, theme parks and attractions.
