Sunshine Matters

This year’s Florida Tourism Day is being held on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 in Tallahassee.  Each year the Partnership for Florida’s Tourism hosts this special event to educate the legislature, media, and Floridians on the significant role tourism plays in the success of our state’s economy. As the state’s No. 1 industry, it is important to let our lawmakers know just how vital tourism is to the Sunshine State. Continue reading »

This year’s Florida Tourism Day is being held Wednesday, March 13, 2013 in Tallahassee.  Hosted each year by the Partnership for Florida’s Tourism, Florida Tourism Day provides the opportunity for the industry to unite and meet with legislators to let them know how important tourism is to Florida’s economy. Continue reading »

2012 Tourism Day Street Party, image courtesy of WTXL-TV

The numbers are in on the 2012 Florida Tourism Day at the Capitol and this year’s event was our largest ever.

On Wednesday, the Partnership for Florida’s Tourism and six other statewide organizations hosted the industry’s annual Florida Tourism Day.   The purpose of Tourism Day is to educate the legislature, media and Floridians about the importance of Florida’s tourism industry and the rationale for public funding.  It serves as a platform to let our lawmakers know just how crucial it is for them to support Florida’s No. 1 industry.

The day’s activities included a briefing by the CEOs of the participating organizations, speeches from Governor Scott and other government officials, legislative appointments by industry representatives at the Capitol and concluded with a street festival in downtown Tallahassee.  The key message of the day shared by tourism industry representatives was to urge state lawmakers to support Governor Scott’s recommendation of $34.9 million for VISIT FLORIDA’s tourism marketing efforts in 2012-2013. Continue reading »

Every year laws are passed at the state level that affect tourism funding and operations.  It is important that those of us in the tourism industry get involved in the legislative process to ensure lawmakers understand how funding affects local tourism.  It is not only necessary to understand the legislative process, but also desirable to establish a personal relationship with your legislator. Continue reading »