The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau announced today record-breaking tourism numbers with an impressive 5.4 per cent increase in overnight visitors to Miami and the Beaches during the last twelve months.

During that time the destination welcomed 15.1 million overnight visitors up from 14.2 million over the same period for the previous year bringing the economic impact to an astounding $25.1 billion to the destination, up from $23.5 billion, a seven per cent increase.

The record-breaking numbers are released as the details for the new Miami Beach Convention Centre are unveiled, providing the destination with an unprecedented opportunity for further economic impact and job growth through meetings and conventions business in the near future.

“We are breaking record upon record across industry indicators and are only beginning to realise the full potential and incremental economic impact once the new Miami Beach Convention Centre opens its doors,” said president William Talbert.

“The GMCVB is hard at work selling the destination both through leisure and group marketing campaigns.

“We are booking business today for tomorrow’s convention centre and fully leveraging our global sales offices, PR agencies, advertising and digital programs as well as targeting new business sectors in the pharmaceutical, tech, medical, insurance, finance industries among many more.

“Also, this year we are seeing a five per cent increase in hospitality jobs and already we are the number one industry for employment growth in the destination.

“The future is even brighter.”

Once home to Muhammad Ali boxing matches, the NFL Super Bowl Media Headquarters, NAACP National Conferences and both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, and today home to Art Basel Miami Beach, the Miami Beach Convention Centre is being reimagined as a state-of-the-art LEED certified facility with more than 500,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 60,000 square foot mixed use ballroom and 81 new break-out rooms spanning 190,000 square feet.