The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau says visitor spending, employment and major events are strengthening Miami-Dade County’s tourism economy.
The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, also known as GMCVB, reported that Greater Miami and Miami Beach welcomed 28.3 million visitors in 2025, generating $32.2 billion in total economic impact. The figures were presented at the organisation’s annual State of the Travel & Tourism Industry event, where tourism leaders linked the destination’s performance with employment, local commerce and quality-of-life benefits across Miami-Dade County. The report places tourism at the centre of the county’s economic story while outlining a pipeline of events and infrastructure intended to sustain momentum.
Visitor spending reached $22.7 billion across lodging, dining, shopping, transportation and entertainment, up 4.1% from 2024, according to the release. The sector supported more than 216,000 jobs, representing 10% of all employment in Miami-Dade County, and generated more than $12 billion in hospitality wages. Tourism accounted for about 8% of the county’s gross domestic product and produced more than $5.3 billion in combined federal, state and local tax revenues.
Lodging was the largest spending category, generating $10.4 billion, while international visitors spent more than $1,150 per person per trip on average. Colombia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Italy, Germany and France were identified as the leading international visitation markets. The release also said tourism-related tax revenues equated to estimated annual savings of $2,300 per household and $809 per resident, presenting the visitor economy as a source of public revenue as well as hospitality activity.
The outlook for 2026 combines hotel performance with a schedule of cultural, sporting and business occasions. Through the first four months of 2026, Greater Miami and Miami Beach led the nation’s top 25 hotel markets in occupancy, average daily room rate and revenue per available room, the release said. The destination is also preparing for the completion of the Miami Beach Convention Center headquarter hotel, the 25th anniversaries of Miami Spice and the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, the 2026 NASCAR Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the 2026 G20 Miami summit in Doral.
The GMCVB’s account of the year frames destination marketing as an economic function with consequences beyond visitor numbers. Its chair, Julissa Kepner, said continued progress would require sustained marketing investment, the ability to attract major conventions and events, a commitment to sustainability and continued celebration of the area’s cultural diversity. For Miami-Dade County, the figures establish a strong 2025 base; the challenge for 2026 will be converting that performance and event pipeline into durable benefits for businesses, workers and residents.
