26 APR 2019: The Florida Legislature in its infinite wisdom has moved another step closer to dumping Visit Florida. Earlier this week the Florida Senate passed a bill to extend Visit Florida, which is set to expire October 1st, and put US $50 million into its budget. However, House leaders, chose to ignore that bill, dismissed concerns that tourism would be impacted without a Statewide marketing authority, and offered up a US $19 million budget to keep the agency funded just through to September. Why? Well isn’t that the question?

Created in 1996, Visit Florida is a public-private venture that supports and markets Florida’s tourism industry.

Former Governor (now US Senator) Rick Scott, supported Visit Florida’s tourism efforts and was a staunch supporter while he was governor.

House leaders however, relentlessly and bizarrely attack Visit Florida seemingly determined to undermine, if not destroy, the very entity that promotes visitation and substantial tourism revenue to the State. Politicians have been harping on, and nitpicking over, Visit Florida’s budget since a US $1 million contract paid to performer Pitbull to promote the State.

Despite the outrage and indignation of politicians, that is not an excessive amount for such a contract, though the handling of the situation by Visit Florida was unnecessarily secretive, senselessly botched and certainly contributed to the eventual mess that saw three top Visit Florida executives depart in late 2016.

Subsequently, in 2017, then-House Speaker Richard Corcoran spearheaded measures to slash the tourism budget and eliminate the state’s economic development agency, also known as Enterprise Florida.

Scott and Corcoran eventually negotiated an agreement to create more transparency rules while keeping Visit Florida funded at US $76 million. However, Enterprise Florida was history.

Now, current budget talks are ongoing, and a realistic budget for Visit Florida could still be in place before the final vote, but according to the Orlando Sentinel, Corcoran’s successor, Jose Oliva, (R-Miami), told reporters this week that while it’s still possible Visit Florida could be kept alive, he doesn’t think the agency is vital to the state’s tourism industry.

“In a trillion-dollar economy, a few million dollars put towards advertising a few different places cannot possibly have a direct correlation to tourism,” Oliva said. “… the types of attractions that exist here in Florida, the weather — there’s a whole series of factors. Visit Florida is probably least among them.”

Really? That’s sounds like a politician devoid of any semblance as to the reality of tourism, or playing some political game, or with an agenda that’s not yet been made clear.

If Oliva and his fellow politicians get their way, they will inevitably tilt the tourism playing field to major corporate entities who can afford their own marketing budgets.

Will tourists continue to visit Florida without Visit Florida? Yes, of course they will.

They will, as usual, crowd the theme parks of Orlando and Kissimmee, they will head to Miami and Fort Lauderdale in droves. They will board cruise ships. They will stay at major hotel chains. The beaches of St Pete/Clearwater will certainly attract visitors … but … what of the smaller destinations and attractions and hotels who rely on Visit Florida for help with promotion and marketing?

Yes, they will continue to get some tourism, but it’s not a question of, “if you build it they will come,” that’s Hollywood blather – and by the way California, Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada, South Carolina, et al. must be alternating between crossing their fingers and fist pumping.

So, what about those smaller attractions? We’ve asked this before – but it’s worth repeating – who lets visitors know of the amazing parks (not theme) and campgrounds, the natural wonders, the charming ambience of ‘Old Florida’? The art and culture and music? They need advertising, they need promotion, they need marketing – they need the support they get from a strong, adequately funded, Visit Florida.

Dana Young, Visit Florida’s new president and CEO, says she is optimistic. She is a former State Senator so one can only hope her confidence is based on more than … well … optimism.

We should know early next week.