Greater Miami and Beaches welcomed a record 16.5 million overnight visitors in 2018, along with 6.8 million day visitors, bringing the total to 23.3 million visitors for the year. Overnight arrivals rose 3.5 percent compared with 2017, contributing to an $18 billion economic impact for the region.
The strongest growth came from the international overnight market, which increased 4.1 percent year over year. The top three international source countries were Brazil, Colombia and Argentina; together they made up more than 20 percent of international overnight visitors. On the domestic side, New York City remained the largest market sending overnight visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches.
Cruise travel also played a major role: about one in ten visitors arrived by cruise ship. PortMiami set a record by handling 6 million cruise passengers in 2018.
“International continues to be a priority market for Greater Miami while we see Greater Miami evolve as a preferred destination for Florida residents and day trippers,” said William D. Talbert III, CDME, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.