2022 and Fiscal Year 21-22 In Review
Fiscal Year '21-'22 has continued our successful post-COVID in recovery to bring the Space Coast Office of Tourism beyond the initial records of 2019. This year, Tourist Development Tax collections topped $23.3 million, the highest collections by nearly $6.4 million. This brings the office to 18 consecutive “best month for that given month” records. Hotel numbers are up over 2019's and vacation rentals are also at their height. Leisure and hospitality jobs are at a record 29,100 in August, and at the lowest level of unemployment in recent history.
Other highlights for this fiscal year include the office winning the following marketing and public relations awards: Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Gold Adrian Award for travel marketing excellence, Silver Flagler Award in Radio Advertising, and an Award of Distinction at the Space Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association Image Awards, and at the statewide FPRA Golden Image Awards.
Industry partners have also had important additions and milestones that contributed to this successful year. Melbourne Orlando International Airport is welcoming visitors from the UK via TUI and announced new domestic carrier, Sun Country, offering service from Minneapolis and a new Canadian carrier, Canada Jetlines, offering service from Toronto in 2023.
Port Canaveral had numerous record passenger days with their record 11 homeported ships this year including the brand-new Disney Wish and was voted Best US Cruise Homeport of 2021. In 2023, they expect to home port 13 ships including the first ship from Marella Cruises. Brevard Zoo was once again ranked in the top 10 Best Zoos in North America by USA Today’s 10Best readers and welcomed more than 25 baby animals born at the zoo and a number of other new residents, including lions. They also reached the milestone of 500,000 visitors in a calendar year for the first time ever.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opened their new Gateway exhibit with space flown craft from the past few years. The hotel boom continues with a scheduled 565 rooms added in 2022. Major events this year included Surfing Santas, the Space Coast Air Show and Thunder on Cocoa Beach boat races. And another year end accomplishment saw 57 launches having soared over the Space Coast in 2022, including Artemis I, beating the previous record by 25.
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Media Contact:
Meagan Happel, PR Manager
Meagan.Happel@visitspacecoast.com
321-474-2204