Bilirakis Invites VISIT FLORIDA to Represent Tourism Before Congress

"Tourism is a chief economic driver for Florida, bolstering job creation across the state," said Bilirakis. "From our amusement and theme parks to our white, sandy beaches, Florida has something for everyone. VISIT FLORIDA was able to share Florida's success story as a leader in tourism, as well as provide insight into how Congress can better support this vibrant industry."

As Florida's number one industry, tourism employs more than one million Floridians. The industry was responsible for welcoming 89.3 million visitors to Florida and generating nearly $72 billion last year. Nationally, tourism is a multibillion-dollar industry that supports nearly eight million American jobs.

"In order to continue to increase the total economic impact of travel to the Sunshine State, we are increasingly focused on growing international visitation," said Mr. Seccombe. "Last year, Florida welcomed a record 3.6 million Canadians and surpassed 10 million overseas visitors from 181 countries. However, there remains a huge opportunity to continue to increase international visitation to the state."

In his testimony, Seccombe described the impact tourism has on Florida's economy and job creation. He also stated that while Florida is the top domestic vacation destination, the top family vacation destination, the top U.S. beach destination and one of the top international travel destinations, VISIT FLORIDA's vision is to establish the state as the top travel destination in the world. To do this, he said the state is constantly looking to expand to new markets, especially when it comes to international visitation.

To view Congressman Bilirakis and Mr. Seccombe's remarks, please see the video below. Mr. Seccombe's written testimony is also attached.

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