Sunshine Matters

We all know tourism is the state’s No. 1 industry and that every 85 visitors support one Florida job.  With the release of the latest employment data from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, here are some new stats you may not know:

• Tourism-related employment grew year-over-year for the 72nd straight month in March 2016, marking the sixth straight year of growth
• Tourism-related employment for the month of March 2016 reached 1,251,600, an increase of 3.3 percent compared to March of last year
• Tourism-related employment accounted for 16 percent of total non-agricultural employment in Florida during March 2016
• Tourism-related employment for calendar year 2015 averaged 1,194,500, an increase of 4.3 percent from 2014
• Tourism-related employment accounted for 14.8 percent of total non-agricultural employment in Florida during 2015
• 1 in 6 new jobs in Florida are in tourism

In other great tourism news:

• Through February 2016 (last reported month), Room Revenue is up 3.0 percent
• Revenue Per Available Room is up 1.5 percent
• Average Daily Room Rate is up 3.1 percent

As you can see, the Florida tourism industry is enjoying great momentum in 2016. Thanks to the continued support of our industry Partners, Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature, we are well on our way to becoming the No.1 tourism destination in the world.