Tourism thriving in Florida ahead of Memorial Day weekend

Miami, Florida — Miami International Airport is projecting the “busiest Memorial Day weekend ever.”

Passenger traffic at the airport was up 17% over the last 30 days, compared to the same period before the pandemic hit in 2020, according to a release Monday. The airport is currently averaging 150,000 passengers a day compared to 126,000 daily in 2019, which was a previous all-time high.

During news conferences, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis frequently notes how businesses were open despite COVID-19 in the “free state of Florida.”

The state’s tourism promotion agency showed that tourism statewide is now slightly surpassing numbers from before the pandemic. Florida had 35.9 million visitors, a 1.3% increase over the same quarter in 2019.

According to Visit Florida, the 35.9 million visitors from January through March represented an almost 40% jump compared to the same quarter last year.

Back in Miami, airport officials expect parking garages to fill to capacity starting Thursday. They note that passengers should plan on being dropped off at the airport by friends or family, a ride-hailing service, or a taxi.