Visit Florida 'optimistic' for UK market after 2025 upturn

The chief executive of Visit Florida says he is “optimistic” for another strong year from the UK market after a 6% year-on-year increase in visitor numbers to 1.2 million in 2025.

Bryan Griffin said the UK remained a core focus for the tourist board, despite it falling behind Brazil as the state’s largest overseas source market, adding: “The UK is one of our longest and highest-performing origin destinations, and we’re always going to maintain our investment there.”

The year-on-year increase in 2025 belied concerns over a downturn in the transatlantic leisure market due to geopolitics and affordability.

Florida remains the second most-desired US destination for UK travellers after New York, according to the Visit Florida Consumer Travel Survey, and Griffin insisted: “For people who are coming to the US as tourists, there’s no change in what we offer and the experience they can have.”

Visit Florida said its marketing campaigns will continue to focus on the family market, traditionally Florida’s strongest demographic.

However, increased activity is also planned around Florida’s Fifa World Cup matches, being held in Miami this June and July.

“We’re going to make the case that Florida can be your hub,” Griffin told Travel Weekly during the Florida Huddle trade event. “[Clients] can stay in Miami, nearby, or in any part of the state, then use any of our airports to get to the other games and come right back.”

Watch parties and fan zones will also be set up in public spaces and resorts across the state.

The tourism board projects that Florida will have a 12.8% share of all seat capacity on direct flights from the UK to the US in June, with Griffin noting: “That’s the third-largest proportion out of all US states”.

Visit Florida anticipates that 600,000 people are expected to visit Miami alone during the World Cup.

Campaigns will include ‘Game Days and Floridays’ activity, running until March 31, which is designed to showcase how clients can experience lesser-known parts of Florida when not attending a football match.

Griffin added the tourist board would also be promoting value options, saying: “We know value is important to people in the UK.

“Florida is still a place where you can find value: if you go around the state to some of our smaller towns, they’ll be able to have a very affordable vacation with an equally high calibre of experiences.”

Visit Florida has also created a new website to support agents in selling trips centred around this year’s America250 anniversary. America250fl.com will feature suggested itineraries and details on themed events happening around the state.

The Florida Huddle UK event, hosted for the first time in November 2025 during World Travel Market, will also return this autumn.

“Last year, we had 80 agents attend our UK Huddle,” Griffin said. “We ran out of room, so we’re going have a bigger space. We’re also working to make sure it’s on days where there are no competing events.”