Visit Florida is poised to keep its state cash flowing at the same level as this year, with $80 million lined up for fiscal year 2026–2027. President and CEO Bryan Griffin told the agency’s executive committee that the tourism marketer is “in line” for that amount and said Visit Florida will roll out first-quarter 2026 tourism figures in the coming days. The update lands as lawmakers hunker down in a budget‑focused special session ahead of the July 1 fiscal year deadline.
Lawmakers have set aside $80 million
Griffin told committee members the agency is “in line to receive $80 million from the state in draft budgets for fiscal year 2026-2027,” and that both the House and Senate have that number in their preferred spending plans, according to the News Service of Florida. He added that Visit Florida will keep working to show officials it is “being effective and spending money wisely,” a message aimed at reassuring board members that the agency is guarding its dollars closely.
Where the $80 million came from
The proposed figure lines up with the $80 million included in the governor’s “Floridians First” budget, a plan Visit Florida publicly applauded last December. At the time, the agency said the funding level would let it market the state broadly while helping local communities recover after storms. In that statement, Visit Florida framed the money as an investment that generates tax revenue and supports jobs across Florida.
Special session still must seal the deal
The House and Senate kicked off an 18‑day special session on May 12 to close the gap on a final spending plan, working on a compressed schedule to get a budget across the finish line. While there is plenty of wrangling elsewhere in the ledger, WUSF reports that Visit Florida’s funding has not been one of the hot‑button items so far.
Numbers bolstering Visit Florida’s case
Tourism leaders have been leaning hard on strong visitation figures and economic returns to justify keeping the full appropriation. Visit Florida estimates about 143.3 million people traveled to Florida in 2025, a slight uptick from 2024, as previously reported by record 143.3 million visitors. State data released last fall put the travel industry’s 2024 economic impact at roughly $133.6 billion, a number the governor’s office pointed to while arguing for continued tourism marketing. The Governor’s office notes that tourism supports jobs and generates substantial tax revenue across Florida.
What to watch next
Budget negotiators still have to hammer out a conference package that both chambers will approve, and tourism insiders are watching closely to see if the $80 million survives the final horse‑trading. If the number holds, Visit Florida officials say the money will continue to support national marketing, targeted international outreach, and a smaller slate of recovery grants for storm‑damaged communities, the same buckets leadership has emphasized in recent years. Final budget language and any tweaks to those programs are expected to surface once the special session yields a conference report.
