Despite concerns about the state of the economy, a recent AAA survey shows that more than half of Floridians are planning to take a summer vacation this year.
The survey conducted April 7-10 asked 400 Florida residents about their summer plans in 2025.
Survey results show that 60% of Floridians are planning to take a summer vacation this year, up from 56% last year, regardless of economic uncertainty.
The data indicates that June and July are set to be the peak months for travel for Floridians, with beach destinations, theme parks, and cruises ranking high on the list.
AAA's Mark Jenkins said he's not surprised that Floridians are still valuing travel so highly.
"I think that there's a lot of uncertainty right now in the economy, also with geopolitical concerns. But despite all that, people still value making memories, experiences, and that's really a necessity for a lot of folks. And so that's where travel comes into play," Jenkins said.
The same survey found that most Americans are planning on vacationing within the country this year. About 64% said they'll stay within the continental United States, which bodes well for the Sunshine State.
"(As) you might think, like Orlando or Miami, the theme parks are especially popular, at least for about a quarter of summer travelers," Jenkins said.
Jenkins says cruises are also really popular this summer, including ones to the Caribbean out of Florida ports.
Orlando brought in over $40 million in taxes on hotel stays in March for Spring Break, a slight dip from last year, but only the second month in history it hit that number.
And Visit Orlando says things continue to look bright for the summer: advance hotel bookings for April through June are currently 2.5% ahead of last year, with short-term rental bookings for the same period 16% higher than last year.
In February, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced record-breaking tourism numbers, some 142.9 million visitors throughout the state in 2024.
In a press release from his office, his administration said these numbers were driven mostly by, "29.9 million domestic visitors, 2.5 million overseas visitors, and 742,000 Canadian visitors."
In a statement the governor said: "The results are clear—Florida is the best place to visit, live, and do business. Another record-breaking year is proof that leadership matters, and the Free State of Florida is a model for the nation."
Experts have warned that political wranglings between the United States and Canada could impact the number of Canadians who flock to Florida this year.
Read the full survey here:
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