The Florida Association of Destination Marketing Organizations (FADMO) today delivered “green slime” (gooey, green glow-in-the-dark putty) to Florida’s legislators with a clear message— reauthorize and fully fund VISIT FLORIDA.
The green slime was delivered to shine a light on the negative media potential visitors might hear about Florida and how misperceptions directly impact our state’s economy by driving visitors away. Without an agency like VISIT FLORIDA fighting these misperceptions, many visitors will assume the worst and choose a destination other than Florida.
“Out-of-state visitors have many choices when it comes to their destinations and our economy depends on them choosing Florida,” said Robert Skrob, Executive Director of The Florida Association of Destination Marketing Organizations. “When potential visitors see images and negative headlines about Florida, whether it’s about green slime covered waterways, fish kills from red algae or damage from hurricanes, it drives traffic away from Florida’s world class destinations and toward other states that are actively funding their tourism advertising and marketing programs. VISIT FLORIDA is championing Florida and showing potential visitors that Florida is open for business.”
The impact of Florida’s tourism industry is undeniable. More than a fifth of all the sales tax revenue generated in Florida is attributed to tourism. This $112 million industry funds a significant portion of the state’s budget and puts 1.4 million people to work.
Consider also that:
- Every one dollar invested in VISIT FLORIDA yields a $2.15 return on investment
- Visitors save every Florida household $1,549 each year in taxes
- Every 78 visitors help create one Florida job
“We have heard from countless small business owners who rely on tourism to survive and their stories are all similar in that they can’t afford to market to out-of-state visors without the help of the local and state programs VISIT FLORIDA provides,” said Skrob. “When we empower VISIT FLORIDA to champion our state, we also allow them to champion small businesses and job creation. We encourage the Florida Legislature top reauthorize and fully funding VISIT FLORIDA.”
