Just when we thought that the legislature would do the right thing by the only REAL industry left in Florida….they decide to get stupid.
This piece from Jaimie Seaton at Skift explains it pretty well
All eyes are on Florida Governor Rick Scott as he decides whether or not to veto a bill passed in the legislature earlier this month that would cut the Visit Florida budget by 67 percent. If the governor withholds his pen, the destination marketing organization’s budget will be slashed from $76 million to $25 million, which could deliver a severe blow to tourism in the country’s most visited state.
It’s not just family vacation dollars at stake. Florida is a top-tier meetings destination, and meeting attendees spend almost double the average tourist. According to Visit Florida, 6 percent of domestic visitors are in the state for meetings, seminars, or conventions, and they spend an average of $277 per person per day compared to the average visitor spending of $156.40.
