TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Dana Young, president and CEO of Visit Florida, has announced her retirement after six years of service leading the state’s official tourism marketing organization. The longest-serving agency head in the DeSantis Administration, Young will remain in her role until a new president and CEO is appointed and onboarded.
Under Young’s leadership, Florida’s tourism reached 140.6 million visitors in 2023, driving a $127.7 billion economic impact. Visitation rose 7.3 percent during her tenure, and economic impact grew 32.4 percent.
“During Dana Young’s tenure, Florida’s tourism industry has consistently set records and exceeded all expectations,” says John Lai, chairman of the Visit Florida board of directors.
“She has done more for our state and industry than we could ever measure, guiding us through challenging times with unwavering determination and leading the way to record-breaking visitation. We owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude for her hard work and dedication, and I am excited to see her embark on her next chapter.”
During Young’s presidency, Visit Florida expanded its membership to include every destination in the state, secured record funding, and elevated Florida to the No. 1 overseas destination, surpassing New York for the first time since 2001.
“I am so grateful to Governor DeSantis for the opportunity to lead Visit Florida for the past six years,” Young says. “I am very proud of the work we have done (and will continue to do) at Visit Florida, maximizing return on investment for Florida taxpayers. This has truly been the best job I have ever had, and I will miss my amazing team.”
