Partner Newsletter
September
July brought strong tourism performance across the Florida Keys, with every lodging market posting year-over-year gains in occupancy, rate and RevPAR.
In this month’s update, we’re sharing the latest tourism trends, new tools and opportunities for your business, and a look at how visitor-paid tourism dollars are supporting our community. Plus, Keys Season is underway and Pennekamp Paddle Day is September 12, 2026.
TOURISM TRENDS
Keys Lodging Posts a Strong July
Florida Keys lodging continued to perform well in July, with hotels posting gains in occupancy, rate and revenue. Short-term rentals also improved year-over-year.
Hotels
- Occupancy: 80.4%, up 6.0% YoY
- ADR: $297.59, up 3.3%
- Revenue: $80.0M, up 9.4%
Short-Term Rentals
- Adjusted occupancy: 45.8%, up from 41.9% last year
- ADR: $476, up 12.5%
- Adjusted RevPAR: $218, up from $177 last year
Key West Air Travel Continues to Grow
Key West International Airport recorded 70.9K TSA passengers in July, up 10.5% YoY. Fiscal year-to-date passenger volume reached 810.2K, a 7.0% increase.
Philadelphia was the leading air origin market at 6.9% of arrivals, followed closely by Boston at 6.5%, Newark at 6.3% and Washington, D.C. at 6.2%.
National Hotels Maintain Momentum
National hotel performance also remained positive in July. Demand increased 2.8% YoY and rates rose 5.7%, helping drive an 8.2% increase in RevPAR.
July marked the sixth consecutive month with RevPAR growth above 4.0%, bringing the year-to-date gain to 5.4%.
U.S. Labor Market Cools
The U.S. lost a net 23,000 jobs in July as seasonal hiring cooled. Leisure and hospitality shed 40,000 jobs as post-World Cup staffing wound down.
Despite those losses, the unemployment rate remained at 4.1%, supported by a multi-year low in labor force participation.
July Hotel Performance by Market
Hotel performance was positive across every Florida Keys market in July, with all areas posting year-over-year gains in occupancy, ADR and RevPAR.
| Market | Occupancy | ADR | RevPAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Keys | 80.4% (+6.0% YOY) | $298 (+3.3%) | $239 (+9.5%) |
| Islamorada | 79.3% (+10.6%) | $348 (+7.6%) | $276 (+19.0%) |
| Key Largo | 74.7% (+1.9%) | $276 (+0.4%) | $206 (+2.2%) |
| Key West | 81.9% (+5.7%) | $286 (+2.2%) | $235 (+8.0%) |
| Marathon | 82.4% (+6.5%) | $302 (+4.8%) | $249 (+11.6%) |
| Upper Florida Keys | 78.9% (+6.4%) | $310 (+4.3%) | $244 (+11.0%) |
The Florida Keys Stars in Matador Network x YETI Video Series
The Florida Keys and its culture celebrating the outdoors and angling stars in a new three-episode video series, Rediscovering My Backyard, from Matador Network and YETI.
How Tourism Takes Care of The Florida Keys
The TDC isn’t just about ads, billboards and digital marketing. Every year, millions of visitor-paid dollars are invested in tourism-related capital projects throughout The Florida Keys & Key West. Those dollars are allocated through applications to each of our five District Advisory Committees (DACs). Read on to learn how visitors are supporting updated parks, beaches, attractions and more.
Keys Season Brings Visitors During Shoulder Season
Keys Season welcomes visitors to enjoy fewer crowds, real experiences and more ways to stay now through October 31, and we’re backing it up with a strong paid media campaign. If you haven’t submitted your offer or deal, now is the time to jump onboard.
Boat Like You Belong
Boating in the Florida Keys is hard to beat, but for first-time boaters our shallow waters, islands, sandbars, coral colonies and seagrass beds can range from tricky to downright dangerous. Remember to share the Boat Like You Belong boater safety information with your guests and share this safe boating video.
America’s 250 Pennekamp Paddle Day
This Saturday, September 12, join the teams from Visit Florida Keys / Monroe County TDC and Monroe County at the free Pennekamp Paddle Day in Key Largo! Thanks to special TDC event funding, everyone is invited to enjoy free John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park entrance from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., along with free paddleboard and kayak use, free glass-bottom boat rides (first-come, first-served when booked onsite), live music, and even free lunch items including hot dogs and Key lime pie on a stick!
Partner Tip
Dive shop owners and trip operators, here’s your chance to learn valuable tips to amplify your business and attract more customers through social media. Join Astrid and Jules from Visit Florida Keys as they take you through our social media 101 to help market your shop and diving excursions.
