Where America's tour-boat & sightseeing water operators are: top states by count

There are roughly 2,217 scenic and sightseeing water-transport establishments in the U.S. (NAICS 487210, 2023 Census County Business Patterns) — tour boats, harbor cruises, whale-watching, dinner cruises, and airboat operators. Florida dominates with 616 — more than a quarter of the national total — followed by California (242), Hawaii (175), and Alaska (152). Hawaii and Alaska punch far above their population, a direct reflection of tourism and coastline. New York (107), North Carolina (76), South Carolina (71), and Washington (71) round out the top eight. The segment employs about 14,900 people.

Why it matters for insurance: carrying paying passengers on the water is a serious liability exposure — passenger bodily-injury claims plus marine protection-and-indemnity (P&I) and hull coverage — and U.S. Coast Guard passenger-vessel requirements shape both operations and premiums.

Paid employees = total employment reported for the week of March 12, U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns. "—" marks state cells the Census suppressed for disclosure.

Counts are establishments classified under NAICS 487210 (Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water) in the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 County Business Patterns, the most recent CBP release. An establishment is a single physical location; figures count establishments, not vessels. State rows exclude cells the Census suppressed for disclosure.

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