Last year was another record year for tourism in Miami-Dade County. Over 28 million people visited the county in 2024. That represents one in five tourists to Florida who spent some of their trip in Miami-Dade.
The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau announced its annual data Thursday. Tourists from other states increased 2%. The county hosted 4% more international tourists compared to a year earlier.
Colombia was the top origin for foreign tourists to Miami-Dade County. Visitations grew by 8%.
Tourism may face pressure this year from a slowing global economy and growing uncertainty from changes in trade and immigration enforcement by the Trump administration. Visitors from Canada to Miami-Dade fell 4% last year.
The tourism bureau expects a drop in foreign visitors this year. The number of international passengers arriving through Miami International Airport has been falling this year.
“Although we need to be ready to navigate the challenging times of these next few months, I also am very optimistic that in the fourth quarter we’re going to get much better. The fall is looking better than the summer,” said Julissa Kepner, GMCVB Board Chair and general manager of the Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami.
READ MORE: Miami tourism leader says the 'math just isn't there' about House tax proposal effects
Despite the concerns, hotel rooms have been mostly filled. The average daily hotel room rate was $258 across the county in the first quarter. Broward County’s average room rate was $200.
About 82% of rooms were occupied over the first four months of this year. That put Miami-Dade County on top of all destinations. Yet, traffic is dropping off. Hotel demand has fallen in four of the past five weeks.
“The economy is so uncertain. We are hearing from our hotel community that a lot of the business events are postponing their meetings,” said David Whitaker, CEO of the visitors bureau. “There’s just a lot of uncertainty,” he said during the organization’s annual State of the Travel and Tourism Industry event.
Hundreds of more hotel rooms will be coming. After two years of delays, ground was broken in mid-May on a hotel at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The project was okayed by voters in 2023. Construction was expected to start that same year on what today is a $390 million project. Developer David Martin from Terra Group blamed the delay on a sharp increase in construction costs. The hotel will add 800 rooms to the local market when it is scheduled to open in 2027.
It will be the second 800-room convention center hotel in South Florida. A hotel at the Broward Convention center in Fort Lauderdale is expected to open in September.
The industry also is hoping to avoid a legislative effort to re-direct millions of dollars collected from visitors. Hotel bed taxes are used by visitors bureaus for marketing and advertising. The House passed a bill this spring that would send those taxes to counties for general use.
The Legislature has yet to agree to a tax and spending plan for the next fiscal year. The next state budget year begins July 1.
