Downtown Fort Lauderdale is attracting a marked increase in visitors, recording 900,000 “out-of-town trips” in 2022, according to the report “DowntownFTL: A Market on the Rise” by the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority ( DDA) in collaboration with Colliers International, a professional services and investment management company.
“Downtown Fort Lauderdale has seen massive growth in visitors over the past five years, with a 162% increase in domestic travel outside the city since 2018,” the DDA said.
“This trend is driven by several critical factors, including the addition of new hotels, which has tripled the region’s inventory in recent years.
“In addition, visitors can enjoy a range of high-quality dining options and cultural amenities, all within a convenient, easily walkable distance.” »
More than 2,100 rooms “are built or planned, five times the number available in 2018,” DDA said, adding that two out of three rooms have been built since 2018.
In total, the city center is currently home to 10 hotels comprising more than 1,500 hotel rooms – with an occupancy rate of 86% in the first quarter.
“Four new hotels are planned for downtown Fort Lauderdale, including The Whitfield, which will be downtown’s first 5-star hotel and add an ultra-luxury experience to Las Olas Boulevard,” DDA said. “Notably, 45% of all hotel rooms in downtown Fort Lauderdale are in Flagler Village, downtown’s fastest-growing work and play district. »
In terms of demographics, “the New York metropolitan area, with 19% of all trips to downtown Fort Lauderdale, was the top point of origin for out-of-town visitors in 2022, followed by Chicago and Detroit,” the DDA said.
“Cold climates such as New York, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, DC, account for 40% of all trips to downtown Fort Lauderdale. »
“Tourists are spending more time than ever in downtown Fort Lauderdale, with 36% of all visits spanning three to seven days, a nine-point increase from 2018,” DDA added.
