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Inside Fort Lauderdale’s Tourism Evolution: A Destination Transformed

April 23, 2025


It took decades to remake Fort Lauderdale’s visitor experience into what it is today—an upscale, family-friendly, year-round destination. City leaders took bold steps to revitalize Fort Lauderdale Beach and set in motion plans to transform downtown into a thriving cultural hub and year-round destination. As Condé Nast Traveler reports, “Fort Lauderdale is redefining itself as a place that lacks the formality of its neighbor to the north but has all the trappings of the vibrant metropolis to the south.”


Downtown Fort Lauderdale glows at sunrise as boats glide along the New River, reflecting the city’s seamless blend of waterfront charm and urban energy.
Downtown Fort Lauderdale glows at sunrise as boats glide along the New River, reflecting the city’s seamless blend of waterfront charm and urban energy.
“Fort Lauderdale continues to cement its reputation as a year-round travel destination, having evolved into a family-friendly luxury destination and a global yachting center with a thriving downtown,” said Fort Lauderdale DDA Chairman Dev Motwani.

Explore this four-part series on Fort Lauderdale’s tourism evolution, the projects elevating the experience for visitors and locals alike, and the data behind our city’s momentum.


Visitation By The Numbers


Visitors hop on and off the Downtown Water Taxi, a scenic way to explore Fort Lauderdale’s evolving waterfront and vibrant urban core.
Visitors hop on and off the Downtown Water Taxi, a scenic way to explore Fort Lauderdale’s evolving waterfront and vibrant urban core.

  • Florida hosted 142.9 million visitors in 2024, with domestic visitors reflecting 91.5% of all travelers.

  • Broward County hosted 22.4 million visitors in 2024.

  • Downtown Fort Lauderdale experienced a 32% increase in domestic visitors over the last two years and a 245% increase since 2018.

  • Visitation on Las Olas Boulevard during the 2025 spring season increased by 5% year-over-year.


Downtown Fort Lauderdale’s tourism experience is on the rise, with the city experiencing an 18% increase in overnight visitors since 2023. "Year to date, the downtown hotels have maintained their optimistic Average Daily Rate (ADR) rate growth even though occupancy remained flat compared to last year," said Heiko Dobrikow, General Manager of the Riverside Hotel.


Stroll down Las Olas Boulevard, where boutique shopping, sidewalk cafés, and local art create the heartbeat of Downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Stroll down Las Olas Boulevard, where boutique shopping, sidewalk cafés, and local art create the heartbeat of Downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Today, one out of three visitors to Fort Lauderdale chooses to stay downtown to enjoy the coastal urban lifestyle that tourism leaders have worked to curate for decades. "Since so many new hotels were added to the downtown core, there appears to be a shift of visitors favoring the dining, entertainment, and shopping experience over the beach," added Dobrikow. Just six years ago, only 7% of overnight guests to the city stayed downtown.


Downtown Hotel Pipeline on the Way  


Downtown will continue to emerge as a destination of choice for visitors, thanks to a new selection of hotels currently underway. Four new hotels are in the development pipeline, adding 573 new rooms to the urban core.

Poised to elevate Las Olas Boulevard, The Whitfield will become Fort Lauderdale’s first five-star boutique hotel, bringing luxury hospitality and refined dining to the heart of downtown.
Poised to elevate Las Olas Boulevard, The Whitfield will become Fort Lauderdale’s first five-star boutique hotel, bringing luxury hospitality and refined dining to the heart of downtown.

The Whitfield, set to become Las Olas’ first five-star boutique hotel, recently won approval to introduce an ultra-luxury condo component. DDA Board Member Charlie Ladd told the South Florida Business Journal, “Fort Lauderdale needs a special hotel. We don’t have enough great restaurants in Fort Lauderdale today, and with this, we hope we can bring that here.


“The Fort Lauderdale airport brings 36 million visitors a year, and historically, they go to Miami or the Surf Club [in Surfside] or Brickell for a luxury hospitality experience. We want them to stay at Las Olas at this amazing hotel that will pamper them,” said Ladd.

New inventory is also planned within Cymbal Development’s recently approved Nautica Hotel & Residences on the New River and Aimco’s upcoming redevelopment of the former Searstown site at US 1 and Sunrise Boulevard.  A new Tempo and Homewood Suites Hotel by Hilton is also planned to be located just blocks from Las Olas Boulevard on SE 8th Avenue. These projects are expected to increase Downtown Fort Lauderdale’s hotel room inventory by 37%, outpacing projected room growth in West Palm Beach and Austin, TX. 


Up Next: Take a closer look at the major investments shaping the future of Fort Lauderdale’s biggest tourism engines.

 
 
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