California and New York spent years telling Americans their lockdown policies would save lives and protect their economies.
Those promises are now blowing up in their faces.
And DeSantis' freedom policies just saved every Florida household $2,000 in taxes while blue states watched their residents flee.
Florida tourism shatters records again in 2024
Florida's tourism industry just delivered another knockout punch to the failed policies of Democrat-run states.
VISIT FLORIDA released its 2024 Economic Impact of Tourism study this week showing the Sunshine State generated $133.6 billion in economic impact last year.¹
That's real money flowing into the state because people are choosing freedom over the authoritarian lockdown states run by Democrats.
Tourists from other states brought $134.9 billion into Florida's economy last year—up 3% from 2023.²
https://twitter.com/Floridianpress/status/1993420261358813585?s=20
Domestic travelers generated $120.1 billion while foreign visitors added another $14.8 billion.³
Here's the number that has Democrats squirming: for every dollar tourists spent in Florida, 99 cents stayed in the state's economy.⁴
That's up from 97 cents in 2023.
The state welcomed a record-breaking 143 million visitors in 2024.⁵
Tourism now accounts for 7.8% of Florida's entire Gross State Product.⁶
Democrats can't compete with DeSantis's winning formula
The tourism boom isn't happening by accident.
DeSantis made a calculated bet during COVID that freedom would beat tyranny.
While California and New York kept their economies locked down and demanded vaccine passports, DeSantis reopened Florida and treated people like adults.
That decision set off a tourist surge that continues to accelerate years later.
"Our tourism industry is critical to Florida's strong economic position," DeSantis said. "Florida remains the top destination for travelers from across the country and the world because we prioritize freedom and safety. Tourism fuels jobs and keeps Florida's economy strong."⁷
The results speak for themselves.
Tourism-related activity generated $33.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2024, a 3.3% increase from 2023.⁸
That tax revenue saved Florida's 9.1 million households nearly $2,000 each.⁹
https://twitter.com/MariaPeiro305/status/1993443280475111932?s=20
Without tourism, each Florida household would face an additional $1,730 annual tax bill from state and local governments alone to keep services funded.¹⁰
VISIT FLORIDA President Bryan Griffin hammered home the point.
"Tourism drives Florida's economy," Griffin stated. "Florida's 9.1 million households are saving nearly $2,000 a year because of the tax revenues generated by Florida tourism."¹¹
Blue states are hemorrhaging residents and revenue
Compare Florida's success to what's happening in California and New York.
California continues to watch its tax base flee the state at a record pace.
One taxpayer per minute is leaving California for states like Florida and Texas.
The contrast couldn't be starker.
Florida has no state income tax and is breaking tourism records year after year.
California has the highest state income tax in the nation and is watching businesses and families pack up and leave.
Democrats blamed DeSantis's COVID policies for everything from killing grandmothers to destroying the economy.
They were dead wrong about everything, just like always.
Florida's tourism industry now supports 1.8 million jobs and generated $79.9 billion in wages in 2024, including $44 billion in direct wages.¹²
That represents 4.6% wage growth year-over-year.¹³
Of every visitor dollar spent, 59 cents went directly to worker salaries.¹⁴
Florida captured a record 15.5% share of the entire U.S. vacation market in 2024.
That's the sixth time Florida has broken its own tourism record since DeSantis took office in 2019.
The free state of Florida is proving what conservatives have been saying all along.
Freedom works better than government control every single time.
Low taxes beat high taxes for attracting investment and creating jobs.
Treating citizens like adults instead of children who need constant supervision produces better economic outcomes.
DeSantis bet on the American people and won.
Democrat governors bet on government mandates and lockdowns and lost.
Now millions of Americans are voting with their feet by choosing Florida over failed blue states.
And Florida households are $2,000 richer because of it.
¹ VISIT FLORIDA, "Tourism in Florida Delivers $133.6 Billion in Economic Impact," Executive Office of the Governor, November 25, 2025.
² – ¹⁴ Ibid.
