ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg and Clearwater are huge draws for tourists and the airport is a prime example of growth in the area.

And, as the overall tourism numbers in Florida keep climbing, the St. Pete-Clearwater Airport is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week.

According to Visit Florida, 2023 saw a little more than 141 million visitors to the state. During the first quarter of this year, Florida had nearly 41 million visitors, a 1.2-percent increase of the first quarter last year. 

Nineteen Florida airports saw an increase of more than 9.4 percent so far in 2024.

In Pinellas County, tourist dollar tax collection is higher. In March, the county saw $14.6 million in tourism taxes collected, that’s up from 13.6 the year before.

And the trend appears to be on an upward swing for the rest of the year.

A Pinellas County business owner said he’s noticed more tourists lately.

“Ballpark, I’d say about 5 or 10% of it is locals,” said Jordan Khan, owner of Khan Doughnuts in St. Pete. “And the rest of it is all tourists.”

Not surprising, Orlando International is the state’s busiest airport, with all the theme parks located around that area as well as the Kennedy Space Center.

It’s also expected to be the busiest tourist draw for people this upcoming Memorial Day weekend.