Published on : Thursday, May 3, 2018
In 2017, Greater Miami saw a huge tourists’ arrival and in this year it has seen a strong performance in the first quarter with hotel occupancy increasing 4.3% as compared to the same period in 2017.
The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau said that the tourism expenditure has seen 2.1% increase over the previous year.
The average hotel room rate in Greater Miami rose by 11.8% and revenue per available hotel room shot up 16.6%, in the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter of last year.
The hotel performances of Greater Miami in the first quarter positions the region as the number one location across all three major hotel metrics among the top 25 markets in the U.S.
The tourism and hotel sectors in Greater Miami had seen significant obstacles in 2017, including, Hurricane Irma in September.
The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau attributes the record-breaking tourism numbers in 2017 and the positive momentum this year in part to its “Hotel’s First” marketing initiative launched in the summer of 2017 as well as to Greater Miami’s strength in the international market. International arrivals at Miami International Airport rose 0.4% in 2017 over the record-breaking 2016.
Some of the record-breaking tourism metrics in 2017 for Greater Miami included employment in the leisure and hospitality industry grew by 2.4%, reaching a record 144,800 jobs in Miami-Dade for 2017.
The overnight visitors reached a record 15.9 million in 2017, representing a nearly 1.0% increase compared to 2016. Demand for the destination grew by 4.7% with hotels selling more room nights in 2017 compared to 2016, also a new record.
The cruise industry also saw significant growth in 2017, posting a record- breaking 5.3 million passengers sailing in 2017, which is an increase of nearly 5%.
It is a positive for the tourism sector, that the tourism authorities had witnessed $625 million redeveloped of Miami Beach Convention Center.
The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau reports that more than 20 conventions have already been booked in the new facility, including the American Health Information Management Association annual convention, which will inaugurate the new venue, followed by the CA Technology annual convention, which has committed to the venue for at least three years.