Mar 21: Looking Back at 2007 – Facts and Figures

Here’s the latest info regarding local tourism statistics for last year.

Greater Fort Lauderdale reported welcoming 10.7 million visitors in 2007. This number reflects a three percent increase over its previous mark of 10.35 million which was set in 2006. Palm Beach County had 4.3 million visitors reflecting a decrease of one-half of one percent. Miami-Dade County had 12 million visitors and was also up three percent. Others numbers showed that Fort Lauderdale expenditures rose to $8.76 billion dollars (an increase of 1.3% over 2006).

Greater Fort Lauderdale’s average daily rate was $125.64, up 9.3 percent compared to 2006. Bed tax collections were nearly 5 percent over the previous year with the year-end hotel occupancy averaging out at 70.4%. Palm Beach’s occupancy was 65 percent and Miami-Dade was 72 percent. Florida, overall, had a state occupancy average of 64.1% (and welcomed approximately 82.4 million people – down 1.7 percent).

In other tourism areas – The FLL airport served approximately 22,682,000 passengers. This represented a six percent increase mainly attributed to the impressive twenty percent increase in international traffic. Port Everglades reported an increase in cruise ship passengers of 4.5 percent over 2006.

So, hoteliers, how do your numbers compare to the county’s facts and figures? How would you rank your 2007 occupancy and revenue numbers against those of other hoteliers in Florida? Let us know.