Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Lamar P. Fisher
Department: County Commission
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO ADOPT Resolution No. 2021-036 urging the full funding of Visit Florida by the Florida Legislature as part of the 2021 State Budget; and including support for Visit Florida as part of Broward County’s 2021 State Legislative and Executive Program. (Commissioner Fisher)
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Why Action is Necessary
Formal Board approval is necessary for the adoption of a Resolution and to modify the County’s 2021 State Legislative and Executive Program.
What Action Accomplishes
Enables adoption of the Resolution described above, and includes support for Visit Florida in the County’s 2021 State Legislative and Executive Program.
Is this Action Goal Related
Yes
Previous Action Taken
Summary Explanation/Background
This item supports the County’s Values, “Ensuring economic opportunities for Broward’s diverse population and business,” and “Prominently marketing Broward County as a brand, while increasing public understanding of programs and services.”
Tourism is Broward County’s second largest industry, accounting for more than 114,000 jobs. Prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency, more than 10 million visitors selected Broward County as their destination of choice on an annual basis and spent billions of dollars at businesses throughout Broward County. It is estimated that for every 85 visitors to Broward County, one job is created.
In 1996, Visit Florida became the State of Florida’s official tourism marketing corporation, and currently serves as Florida’s official source of travel planning to visitors across the globe. Visit Florida is a nonprofit corporation established by the Florida Legislature as a public/private partnership. Each year, the Florida Legislature appropriates public funding to be allocated for tourism marketing to Visit Florida, which is then matched with funding from the tourism industry.
The tourism industry was one of the industries hardest hit by the COVID-19 public health emergency. In order for Broward County’s and the State of Florida’s economy to recover, it is vital that our travel and tourism industries receive as much support as possible, including that the Florida Legislature provide full funding to Visit Florida so that it, in partnership with private travel and tourism businesses, can promote Broward County and the state at large to individuals around the world as a leisure and business travel location.
The proposed Resolution, if adopted, would urge the Florida Legislature to provide Visit Florida with full funding as part of the 2021 state budget process, and would direct the County’s Intergovernmental Affairs and Boards Section to advocate, as part of the County’s legislative agenda, for full funding for Visit Florida. The proposed Resolution also directs the County Administrator to transmit a copy of this Resolution to all Florida state legislators representing Broward County residents.
Exhibit 2 is a compilation of some of the communications and other materials advocating support for Visit Florida that have been received by the sponsor of this item.
Source of Additional Information
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
None.