Sunshine Matters

Yesterday, the Partnership for Florida’s Tourism and five other statewide organizations hosted the industry’s annual Florida Tourism Day.   This all-day event at the Florida Capitol provided an excellent opportunity to showcase the state’s No. 1 industry to the legislature and to educate them on the rationale for tourism marketing public funding. 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 »

Next Tuesday, Florida’s elected officials will return to Tallahassee to address redistricting, the budget and other key issues during the 2012 Legislative Session. The following week, on January 18, the Partnership for Florida’s Tourism – a grassroots coalition designed to raise awareness of the importance of tourism and to increase public funding of tourism marketing – will host Florida Tourism Day 2012. The purpose of this annual event is to educate the legislature, media and Floridians about the importance of Florida’s tourism industry and the rationale for the public funding request to increase tourism marketing efforts. It’s the perfect day to let your lawmakers know just how vital tourism is to our state and how crucial it is for them to support Florida’s No. 1 industry. 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 »