WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A record 9.1 million visitors came to the Palm Beaches in 2022, according to numbers released by tourism officials.
Discover the Palm Beaches, the agency that markets and promotes tourism, made the announcement Wednesday.
"We're in a very good spot," Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO of Discover the Palm Beaches, said. "We had a record bed tax collections at a level unprecedented, over 40% above the past peak year, which was 2019."
The numbers released show $77.8 million in bed tax revenue, with total spending at $6.7 billion and total economic impact at $9.7 billion.
Tourism officials also emphasized how that money benefits the area.
"It's not just benefitting the hotels, restaurants, the transportation companies, but at the end of the day tourism adds to the quality of life of our residents," Pesquera said.
According to the office of county Mayor Greg Weiss, the spending by tourists supports up to 70,000 jobs, generating $242 million in taxes and benefitting beaches, cultural venues and environmental lands.
