Record $100 Million in Funding for Florida Tourism

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The State of Florida's official tourism arm will receive a record $100 million in annual funding to increase marketing to domestic and international visitors, a move that could prove beneficial to hotel owners and investors. 

Last week Governor Rick Scott announced VISIT FLORIDA will receive the record funding in the 2014-15 "It's Your Money Tax Cut Budget" for the marketing efforts. 

"Last year, we secured more than $63 million in our 'Florida Families First Budget,' for VISIT FLORIDA and we made record gains in tourism," Governor Scott announced at Orlando International Airport. "We are on track for another record year, and we hope to build on this incredible momentum and make the Sunshine State the number one travel destination in the world."

Since every 85 visitors supports one Florida job, a growing tourism industry is important to the state. 

Tourism is the states' number one industry, providing the state with revenue from hotel stays and travel expenditures. In the first three quarters of 2013, Florida welcomed 72.6 million visitors, increasing 3.4 percent from the same period in 2012, according to the state's government website. 

Between January and August 2013 (last reported month) visitor spending in Florida totaled $51.8 billion, marking a 5.8 percent yearly increase from the same period in 2012. 

The first three quarters of 2013 were the largest nine-month period in state's tourism industry history. 

"On behalf of the statewide tourism industry, I am grateful to Governor Scott for his recognition of VISIT FLORIDA's ability to provide a significant return on the state's investment in tourism marketing," Will Seccombe, president and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, said on the announcement. "[This] puts us in a position to make 2014 another record year for visitation."