Vero Beach’s national profile continues to rise, as more travelers – and travel writers – discover the city’s charm.

A recent front page travel section article in the Boston Globe reported on Vero’s virtues to its 335,000 subscribers under the headline, “Sun, surf and affluence: Is Vero Beach the Hamptons of Florida?” A lavish 2025 article in Southern Living was likewise filled with praise for the city, noting “upmarket boutiques, wine bars and spas,” and also calling it “the Hamptons of Florida,” a phrase popularized by Vero Beach 32963.

And the notoriety appears to be paying off, as Vero continues to post impressive tourism revenue numbers.

In most of the rest of the country, tourism is faltering, especially tourism from outside the U.S. While the rest of the world saw international tourism up by 4 percent last year, the number of foreign visitors coming to the United States fell by 5.4 percent, according to the United Nations Tourism Data Dashboard. Travel to the U.S. from Canada fell by nearly 30 percent.

Analysts blame the decline on political conflict with other countries and recently enacted federal immigration and visa policies such as the visa integrity fee – a $250 charge that applies to most foreign nationals seeking a U.S. visa – which was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress last year. All told, experts estimate the monetary loss to U.S. tourism topped $30 billion last year.

But Vero Beach once again bucked that trend, according to Ben Earman, Indian River County’s vice president for tourism.

In the first quarter of the 2025-2026 fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, tourism tax revenue was up 13 percent over the same period in the prior fiscal year. Bed tax revenue was up 18.8 percent in calendar year 2025 over calendar year 2024, Earman added.

“That tells us our destination remains highly desirable, resilient and competitive,” Earman said. “Indian River County continues to attract visitors looking for authentic coastal experiences and the uniqueness that we provide.”

Indian River County collected $5,570,000 in bed tax last year, up 18.9 percent from the previous year’s total of $4,684,490.

The tourist tax rate increased from 4 percent to 5 percent on Jan. 1, 2025, but the numbers still show that tourism remains strong considering the decreases elsewhere, Earman said. “Had we remained at 4 percent, November and December 2025 would have been flat,” he added.

“2025 was strong and 2026 is pacing even stronger,” Earman added.
According to the data, Vero is attracting a younger crowd along with snowbird retirees. Nearly half of those visiting the city were between 25 and 47 years old with household incomes above $100,000. Most visitors come from five top markets –New York, Miami, Orlando, Washington, D.C., and Boston.

Affluent travelers continue to be our bread-and-butter, Earman said. “Travelers continue to prefer smaller coastal communities with nature and outdoor activities and less traffic. Indian River County fits that profile perfectly.”

The Boston Globe’s Christopher Muther seems to agree. The recent launch of JetBlue flights between Boston and Vero Beach snagged his attention and he jumped on a plane to see for himself what all the buzz was about.

In his article, Muther extolled the virtues of our beaches, making special mention of Golden Sands and South Beach Park. He strolled on the boardwalk at Round Island Park where he spotted a pair of lounging manatees.

He stayed at Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa and raved about McKee Botanical Garden, Riverside Theatre and the resort-like atmosphere on the barrier island.

Besides Southern Living and the Globe, multiple other publications, major and minor, have written about Vero’s appeal in the past year, naming its beaches among the best in Florida and reporting on everything from its small-town charm and coastal beauty to its low crime rate, all of which sounds good to tourists mulling over Florida destinations.