Record-Breaking
Visitation Announced for The Palm Beaches

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (March 3, 2025) – Discover The Palm Beaches (DTPB), the destination promotion organization dedicated to supporting the tourism economy of Palm Beach County, has announced record-breaking visitation numbers for 2024. According to DTPB’s data, an unprecedented 9.9 million visitors explored The Palm Beaches from January to December, marking a 4.6% increase over 2023.

This milestone represents the fourth consecutive year of growth in visitation since the pandemic’s impact on travel, and coincides with the announcement of Florida’s statewide record-breaking visitation in 2024.

• Total visitation was 9.9 million, up from 9.48 million in 2023 (+4.6% increase)
• Total spending was $7.2 billion, up from $7.1 billion in 2023 (+2.7% increase)
• Total economic impact was $10.5 billion, up from $10.3 billion in 2023 (+1.9% increase)

“This remarkable achievement underscores the effectiveness of our strategic destination promotion efforts,” said DTPB President and CEO Milton Segarra, CDME. “Our data-driven advertising and marketing strategies, combined with our robust sales initiatives and the invaluable collaboration with our sister Tourist Development Council agencies in Sports, Culture, and Film/TV, have been instrumental in continuing to attract a record number of visitors to our destination. We thank our tourism industry partners for their unwavering support and dedication, which have been crucial to our success.”

Tourism helps Palm Beach County residents in many ways, such as enhancing the quality of life and quality of place. Tourist Development Taxes (often referenced as “bed taxes”) collected through visitation help to fund important initiatives such as beach restoration, cultural programming and institutions, and new facilities. In addition, tourism is one of the main reasons why Florida residents do not have to pay a state income tax. Because of visitors to the Sunshine State who are paying bed taxes, every Florida household is saved $1,910 in taxes*.

Some notable trends that contributed to the record-breaking rise include the emergence of Texas as a growing market with a fresh focus from DTPB, key international markets showing continued growth because of DTPB’s promotional activities in those countries, and domestic markets that received additional airlift and marketing support such as Detroit, Cincinnati, Charleston, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles.

Groups and meetings business continued to rise, and DTPB’s launch of “The Palm Beaches Collection” marketing campaign drove better awareness of the destination. In addition, the inaugural Eudēmonia event grew visitation from markets among consumers seeking wellness experiences who may never have previously considered The Palm Beaches, particularly from the U.S. west coast.

The collective efforts of the sister agencies under the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council (TDC) have yielded impressive results. The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, which manages tourism marketing grants on behalf of the TDC, reported its grantees had audiences of more than 3.3 million in its 2024 fiscal year. The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission (FTC) reported that production in 2024 generated more than a quarter billion dollars in revenue, marking three consecutive years of record-breaking growth and $253 million in local expenditures – an increase of 3% from 2023. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission reported that 1.3 million sports-related attendees participated in events in its 2024 fiscal year, generating a $329 million economic impact and supporting 338,000 hotel rooms.

Emanuel J. Perry, executive director of the TDC, said, “Our continued future success is dependent on several critical factors, including Florida remaining competitive against global destinations. This requires strong resources, along with a long-term vision that we are currently implementing in our ‘Love The Palm Beaches Tourism Master Plan.’ We stand firm in our support of the local tourism industry, which provides jobs for approximately 90,000 people. Everyone wins when you invest in destination promotion.”

*According to VISIT FLORIDA’s report, “The 2023 Economic & Fiscal Impact of Tourism in Florida”

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About Discover The Palm Beaches
Discover The Palm Beaches is the tourism marketing organization for the collection of 39 cities and towns known as The Palm Beaches in Southeast Florida, stretching from Boca Raton to Jupiter. Tasked with growing visitation and the local tourism economy, the organization works year-round to bring travelers to Palm Beach County. The Palm Beaches have a rich history as America’s First Resort Destination®, where genuine hospitality is a way of life among a vibrant and welcoming blend of people, cultures, and coastal towns. Tourism is among the county’s major industries, generating an annual economic impact of approximately $10 billion and supporting approximately 90,000 local jobs. For more information about The Palm Beaches, visit www.ThePalmBeaches.com or follow on social media on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X, Threads, Pinterest and LinkedIn.