Tourism’s continued strength and resilience took center stage Thursday as the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) hosted its annual meeting at the Coastal Convention Center at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
According to the GMCVB’s 2024–2025 report, spanning July 2024 to June 2025, Greater Miami and Miami Beach recorded $21.3 billion in total visitor spending, marking a 3% year-over-year increase. The region also welcomed 28.2 million visitors, a 4.5% rise compared to the previous period, as Miami-Dade County maintained its standing as a top-tier destination for leisure, business, and conventions.
“These results tell a powerful story about how our destination leaned into global headwinds and the ability of our industry partners to provide the quality of visitor experiences that helped us stand out against our competition,” said David Whitaker, GMCVB President and CEO. “Our hotels remained among the nation’s top performers, with a 2.4% increase in average daily rate. Building toward 2026, our momentum is clearly defined – fueled by signature GMCVB programs like Miami Spice that bring attention to our destination’s 59 MICHELIN restaurants of distinction, increasing convention bookings ahead of the opening of the new Grand Hyatt Miami Beach Convention Center headquarter hotel, and a slate of major global events like the College Football Playoff National Championship, World Baseball Classic, the PGA Tour, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship and FIFA World Cup 2026 among others.”
More than 600 partners and stakeholders attended the meeting, which also featured remarks from Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner. The event celebrated growth across key benchmarks and outlined the bureau’s future strategies for strengthening tourism’s economic and community impact.
Data presented at the meeting showed that Florida residents accounted for more than 31% of all visitors, reflecting strong in-state travel demand. Domestic visitation remained steady at 46%, signaling consistent interest from key U.S. markets.
GMCVB Board Chair Julissa Kepner, General Manager of the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay, praised the bureau’s progress and emphasized the importance of continued innovation. “As we look ahead to 2026, we are encouraged by the momentum we’ve built. We’re leveraging the lessons of the past year to shape our strategies, ensuring that Greater Miami and Miami Beach remains at the forefront of global travel and continues to reflect the strength and spirit of our community.”
During the meeting, GMCVB Nominating Chair Christine Valls introduced four new members to the organization’s diverse board of directors, representing leadership across Miami-Dade’s business community:
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Mickael Damelincourt, Managing Director, Trump National Doral Miami
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Christine Duffy, President, Carnival Cruise Line
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Robin Jacobs, Chair, Miami Beach Convention Center Advisory Board
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Florencia Tabeni, Chief Operating Officer, MDM Hotel Group
Whitaker said the organization is also broadening its focus to meet evolving market trends. “In addition, our expanded organizational priorities include focusing on continued engagement in all our neighborhoods, expanding marketing and content strategy targeting the luxury segment and upscale travelers, hospitality industry career development, leveraging music as a key destination marketing platform and expanding on arts and culture programming.”
With major global events on the horizon and new hospitality infrastructure in the works, the GMCVB projects that Miami-Dade’s tourism sector will continue to deliver strong economic and quality-of-life benefits for residents and businesses alike.
