933,500 UK visitors can't be wrong: inside Orlando's UK tourist boom

Orlando has just broken its own tourism record, again. Official figures released by Visit Orlando confirm that the city welcomed 76.7 million visitors in 2025, the highest total in its history. And as nearly a million UK visitors flocked to the sunshine state last year, tourism from the UK has grown by 15.4% since 2022. The numbers tell a compelling story for anyone considering a Florida holiday.

The statistics UK Florida Visitors need to know

How many tourists visited Orlando from the UK in 2025?

According to the official Visit Orlando annual visitation report, 933,500 UK visitors travelled to Orlando in 2025. That’s a rise of 2.8% from 2024. That puts UK tourists within touching distance of the one million mark, cementing the UK's status as Orlando's second largest international market.

To put that in perspective: nearly one in every seven international visitors to Orlando in 2025 came from the United Kingdom. For a city that draws tourists from across the globe, that is a remarkable share, reflecting the connection UK visitors have with the sunshine state.

Are UK visitor numbers to Orlando growing or in decline?

The UK to Orlando tourist numbers are growing, and the trend has been consistent. The 2.8% increase in UK arrivals in 2025 continues a trajectory of recovery and expansion from the pandemic disruption of the early 2020s.

But the growth of visitors on a year on year basis has slowed in comparison to previous years:

• In 2024, UK visitors to Orlando rose by 3.5% to 907,900 visitors

• In 2023, UK visitors to Orlando rose by 8% to 877,000 tourists

• In 2022, UK visitor numbers were at 809,000.

Since 2022, the first full year of tourism since the COVID-19 pandemic ended, UK visitors to Orlando have grown by 15.4%, or 124,500 visitors.

Will UK visitor growth continue into 2026?

While the overall growth during the four year period is massive, the rate of growth has actually slowed. The initial surge of visitors is rapidly cooling, with growth rates dropping by roughly half each year, from 8%, to 3.5%, down to 1.8% in 2025. If this halving trend were to continue into 2026 and UK visitors to Orlando increased by around 1%, over 1 million UK tourists would visit Orlando in 2026. Given the continuing popularity of the destination, summer 2026 events and theme park developments, it is probable that growth will continue.

While there are many reasons to visit Orlando and Florida in 2026, UK tourism is likely to be driven by massive theme park growth and Miami's role as a 2026 World Cup host. Florida's UK tourism boom shows no signs of slowing down.

Orlando’s International visitors: has tourism to Orlando dropped?

Yes. While Orlando broke overall visitor records in 2025, international visitor numbers dipped slightly, down 2.4% to 6.3 million. That’s a shortfall of around 156,000 International visitors compared to 2024.

The full top-five international ranking for 2025 in comparison to 2024 looks like this:

While most of Orlando’s tourists continue to come from Canada, there has been a decline of 13.3% in the number of Canadian visitors overall in 2025. This is 171,000 fewer Canadian visitors, and is the steepest decrease amongst the top 5 International tourist markets for Orlando.

The UK’s continued growth, albeit smaller, is notable in this context. The UK also remains the only transatlantic country on the list. Numbers of UK visitors are not only holding steady, they are increasing showing the number of UK holidaymakers choosing to visit Orlando is growing year-on-year.

Why did International visitor numbers to Orlando fall overall?

The single decline in the Canadian tourist market is the reason for the fall in overall international visitor numbers. The other four top International tourist markets, the UK, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia all posted growth.

Canada is a specific story, not a broader international trend. The UK, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Japan all saw visitor numbers rise in 2025. Japan in particular is a market to watch as Orlando International Airport (MCO), launched its first non-stop passenger charter flights to Tokyo in early 2025. This marked Florida's first direct service to the Asia Pacific region.

Is Orlando the Most Visited Destination in the United States?

Yes, Orlando retained its title as America's most visited destination in 2025, with total arrivals of 76.7 million. That’s a 1.8% increase on 2024 and a new all-time record. No other US city comes close to those figures.

Domestic visitors (people travelling from other states) accounted for the bulk of that number, with 70.3 million American visitors making the trip. That is a record figure too; up 2.2% on the previous year! International visitors

For UK visitors, Orlando's position as America's top destination means continued investment in infrastructure, attractions, and hospitality. This means connectivity from the airports to resorts is continually improving, as are the airports themselves. MCO, the closest airport to Disney World, is currently undergoing a period of growth and renewal.

The continued growth of tourism means UK visitors are getting a better experience with continuing new experiences, which leads to more return visitors. The downside, is the increasing crowds, and busier theme parks. Quiet days are a thing of the past and a pleasant surprise, rather than something you can plan to experience in 2026.

How Busy Is Orlando Getting? What Does This Mean for Crowds and Queues?

The record-breaking visitor totals raise an obvious practical question for UK holiday-makers: is Orlando getting overcrowded?

The short answer is that the city has scaled remarkably well. While the total number of visitors is growing, Orlando has simultaneously expanded its attraction offering. The city is home to 15 of the world's top theme parks and water parks, alongside a rapidly growing dining, entertainment, and outdoor scene.

Overnight visitors accounted for 70% of domestic arrivals - approximately 49.2 million travellers - reflecting that the vast majority of those visiting are committed, multi-day holiday-makers rather than day-trippers, which distributes footfall more evenly across the destination. For UK visitors, who almost universally stay for a week or more given the length of the journey, this is encouraging news.

What do record Orlando visitor numbers mean for UK Travellers in 2026?

For UK visitors the numbers are not going to impact what you can book if you are booking through UK package providers and ticket brokers; the impact comes when you look to book in the US. Tourism in Orlando can be broken down into an overall profile that looks like this in 2025:

• 81% domestic leisure visitors

• 10% domestic business travellers

• 8% international visitors

• 1% international meetings/group attendees

UK visitors make up 25.9% of Orlando’s top 5 international tourist groups, within an 8% International visitor total. This means the majority of people you encounter at theme parks and resorts will be Americans on holiday. For UK travellers this means that crowd levels and wait times are affected most by US holidays, US school breaks, and US events.

The UK's position as Orlando's number two international tourist market also gives British tourists a degree of reassurance as tour operators, airlines, and resorts all have strong reasons to maintain and grow the UK market. This means competitive package pricing and strong transatlantic flight options will likely continue for years to come.

Magic in a minute

Florida’s tourism industry continues to grow, and the UK is Orlando’s second largest international market. This means demand for Orlando holidays grew among UK trip planners in 2025, and there is no reason to think this year-on-year growth will not continue into 2026.