POLICE SAY HE PASSED OUT SO HE WAS TREATED BEFORE BEING TAKEN TO JAIL. THE ROAD TO THE LA 28 OLYMPIC GAMES WILL GO THROUGH ORLANDO TODAY. THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE CONFIRMED THE CITY WILL HOST OLYMPIC QUALIFIER COMPETITIONS IN JUNE 2028. WESH TWO JUSTIN SCHECKER IS JOINING US LIVE FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER, WHERE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE TODAY. JUSTIN, THIS IS AN EXCITING ONE. IT REALLY IS. THE IOC SELECTED THE CITY BEAUTIFUL AS ONE OF FOUR INTERNATIONAL CITIES THAT WILL WELCOME SOME OF THE WORLD’S TOP ATHLETES. THEY WILL COMPETE OVER AT CAMPING WORLD STADIUM AS THEY TRY TO MAKE THEIR OLYMPIC DREAM A REALITY. CONGRATULATIONS, ORLANDO, AND BEING SELECTED TO HOST THE OLYMPIC SERIES, ORLANDO WILL BE ON THE WORLD STAGE IN THE RUN UP TO THE LA 2028 SUMMER OLYMPICS, ALONG WITH TOKYO, SHANGHAI AND MONTREAL. THIS MILESTONE MOMENT IS THE RESULT OF A STRATEGIC EFFORT THAT BEGAN EIGHT YEARS AGO. ORLANDO COULD HOST QUALIFIERS FOR THREE ON THREE BASKETBALL, BEACH VOLLEYBALL, BMX FREESTYLE CLIMBING, SKATEBOARDING AND FLAG FOOTBALL, WHICH WILL FEATURE NFL PLAYERS IN ITS OLYMPIC DEBUT. SOME QUESTIONS REMAIN AS FAR AS WHICH SPORTS WILL WIND UP HERE IN ORLANDO, BUT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF ATHLETES, MORE THAN 100 OF THOSE WILL QUALIFY AND GO ON TO LA. THE CEO OF THE GREATER ORLANDO SPORTS COMMISSION, JASON SIEGEL, SAYS THE COMPETITIONS WILL TAKE PLACE AT CAMPING WORLD STADIUM. THAT’S UNDERGOING $400 MILLION UPGRADES AHEAD OF HOSTING THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS HOME GAMES DURING THE 2728 SEASON. IT WILL BE ONE BIG OLYMPIC FESTIVAL, SO A BIG FOOTPRINT, AND IT WILL BE A FESTIVAL FORMAT. MUSIC, ART, SPORTS ALL COMING TOGETHER. THIS OLYMPIC Q SERIES ANNOUNCEMENT CAME SHORTLY BEFORE VISIT. ORLANDO REVEALED RECORD BREAKING TOURISM NUMBERS IN 2020 FIVE, 76.7 MILLION VISITORS MADE ORLANDO THE TOP DOMESTIC TRAVEL DESTINATION. I BELIEVE THAT THAT’S ONE MORE NOTCH IN OUR BELT THAT SOLIDIFIES US AS A POWERHOUSE AS IT RELATES TO INTERNATIONAL NATIONAL SPORTS. THAT TRANSLATES INTO A STRONG ECONOMY FOR OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR JERRY DEMINGS SAYS HE’S ENCOURAGED BY THE NEARLY 43 MILLION TOURISM DEVELOPMENT DOLLARS COLLECTED IN MARCH. THAT MEANS THAT LIKELY FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE’RE GOING TO SEE A RECORD NUMBER OF COLLECTIONS. I INTEND TO CREATE ANOTHER TASK FORCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT. IF THERE’S SURPLUS DOLLARS. AND MAYOR DEMINGS SAYS THAT COUNTY TASK FORCE WILL GET INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY. WHERE COULD INVEST THOSE SURPLUS DOLLARS? MARK YOUR CALENDARS. ORLANDO WILL HOST THOSE Q SERIES EVENTS FROM JUNE 8TH THROUGH THE 11TH IN 2028, COVERING ORANGE
Orlando sets tourism record with 76.7 million visitors in 2025 despite international travel dip
Updated: 7:59 PM EDT May 7, 2026
Orlando set another tourism record in 2025, welcoming 76.7 million visitors as the nation’s most-visited destination strengthened its hold on domestic travel despite a dip in international tourism driven largely by fewer Canadian travelers.Visit Orlando announced the figures Thursday during its annual National Travel & Tourism Week event at the Orange County Convention Center, reporting a 1.8% increase over 2024 and the highest visitation total in the region’s history.Domestic travel fueled much of the growth, climbing 2.2% to a record 70.3 million visitors, according to Visit Orlando. Florida residents accounted for a growing share of travelers, with in-state visitation rising 3.4%, though most domestic visitors still came from outside Florida.“While the total number of visitors reflects Orlando’s continued growth, it only tells part of the story,” Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, said in a statement. “Beyond the numbers are the experiences that motivate travel, the memories created and the emotional connections that continue to draw travelers to Orlando year after year for the economic benefit of our community.”Overnight stays remained strong, with 70% of domestic travelers — about 49.2 million people — staying overnight in the destination, up 1.8% from the previous year.International visitation, however, declined 2.4% to 6.3 million visitors, a decrease of about 156,000 travelers compared with 2024. Visit Orlando attributed much of the decline to reduced travel from Canada, Orlando’s largest international market.Canadian visitation fell 13.3% to about 1.1 million visitors in 2025, though the country remained the top source of international travelers to Orlando. The United Kingdom ranked second with 933,500 visitors, followed by Brazil with 736,300, Mexico with 458,500 and Colombia with 360,000.Several markets still posted record highs in 2025, including the United States, Mexico, Colombia and Japan, according to Visit Orlando.Earlier this year, Orlando International Airport launched its first nonstop passenger charter flights to Tokyo, marking what officials described as Florida’s first direct service connection to the Asia-Pacific region.Leisure travel continued to dominate Orlando’s tourism economy in 2025, accounting for 81% of domestic visitors, while business travelers represented 10% and international travelers made up 8%, according to Visit Orlando.The meetings and conventions sector also showed growth, increasing 3.1% year over year to 5.8 million visitors, reinforcing Orlando’s position as a leading meetings destination, the tourism agency said.
Orlando set another tourism record in 2025, welcoming 76.7 million visitors as the nation’s most-visited destination strengthened its hold on domestic travel despite a dip in international tourism driven largely by fewer Canadian travelers.
Visit Orlando announced the figures Thursday during its annual National Travel & Tourism Week event at the Orange County Convention Center, reporting a 1.8% increase over 2024 and the highest visitation total in the region’s history.
Domestic travel fueled much of the growth, climbing 2.2% to a record 70.3 million visitors, according to Visit Orlando. Florida residents accounted for a growing share of travelers, with in-state visitation rising 3.4%, though most domestic visitors still came from outside Florida.
“While the total number of visitors reflects Orlando’s continued growth, it only tells part of the story,” Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, said in a statement. “Beyond the numbers are the experiences that motivate travel, the memories created and the emotional connections that continue to draw travelers to Orlando year after year for the economic benefit of our community.”
Overnight stays remained strong, with 70% of domestic travelers — about 49.2 million people — staying overnight in the destination, up 1.8% from the previous year.
International visitation, however, declined 2.4% to 6.3 million visitors, a decrease of about 156,000 travelers compared with 2024. Visit Orlando attributed much of the decline to reduced travel from Canada, Orlando’s largest international market.
Canadian visitation fell 13.3% to about 1.1 million visitors in 2025, though the country remained the top source of international travelers to Orlando. The United Kingdom ranked second with 933,500 visitors, followed by Brazil with 736,300, Mexico with 458,500 and Colombia with 360,000.
Several markets still posted record highs in 2025, including the United States, Mexico, Colombia and Japan, according to Visit Orlando.
Earlier this year, Orlando International Airport launched its first nonstop passenger charter flights to Tokyo, marking what officials described as Florida’s first direct service connection to the Asia-Pacific region.
Leisure travel continued to dominate Orlando’s tourism economy in 2025, accounting for 81% of domestic visitors, while business travelers represented 10% and international travelers made up 8%, according to Visit Orlando.
The meetings and conventions sector also showed growth, increasing 3.1% year over year to 5.8 million visitors, reinforcing Orlando’s position as a leading meetings destination, the tourism agency said.