Each year, visitors spend approximately $3.5 billion in the Florida Keys, generating almost $400 million in tax revenue and supporting more than 24,000 jobs, according to the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.
Franker

Franker
Each year, visitors spend approximately $3.5 billion in the Florida Keys, generating almost $400 million in tax revenue and supporting more than 24,000 jobs, according to the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.
KEY WEST — While national headlines question the future of tourism and some U.S. markets face softening demand — especially among international travelers — the Florida Keys are telling a different story.
According to the latest data from Monroe County’s Tourist Development Council (TDC), the island chain is outperforming 2019 benchmarks and holding steady across key indicators. The year 2019 is widely used as an industry benchmark, as it represents the last full year of typical travel behavior before pandemic-related disruptions and rebounds.
The growing number of visitors to the Keys mirrors the strong visitation numbers that have been reported statewide. Visit Florida recently shared a historic milestone in tourism — a record-breaking 34.4 million travelers chose Florida to visit in the second quarter of 2025.
TDC president and CEO Kara Franker recently addressed the Monroe County Commission about local visitation statistics. According to data from Smith Travel Research (STR), RevPAR (revenue per available hotel room) was up 21.9% calendar year-to-date in July over 2019, and county reports show bed tax collections remain stable, despite downward pressure felt across other destinations.
“While other markets are seeing a softening, we’re holding steady locally and statewide. Monroe County’s lodging data shows consistent visitation and resilient performance,” Franker said. “Over the past year, we’ve implemented wide-sweeping changes to increase transparency, rebuild trust and modernize the organization from the inside out, and now we’re seeing the results of that work.”
Monroe County’s tourist development tax revenues were up 1.2% fiscal year-to-date in June compared to 2024, with occupancy levels holding steady and only modest rate adjustments. Looking ahead, a new hotel forecast report from Tourism Economics projects a 3.6% increase in demand in 2025.
Tourism remains Monroe County’s most important economic engine. Each year, visitors spend approximately $3.5 billion in the Keys, generating almost $400 million in tax revenue and supporting more than 24,000 jobs. In a county of just over 80,000 residents, the visitor economy is projected to save local households $11,500 per year, including more than $1,100 in property taxes, while also funding infrastructure and quality-of-life projects.
Franker
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
Sorry, an error occurred.

Already Subscribed!

Cancel anytime
Account processing issue – the email address may already exist
Breaking news and news alerts as they happen
Weekly headlines from the Florida Keys Free Press
Sign up with

Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Invalid password or account does not exist
Sign in with
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.

Secure & Encrypted
Secure transaction. Secure transaction. Cancel anytime.

Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
A receipt was sent to your email.

source