Randy Johnson fears the tables and booths at his family’s St. Cloud restaurant will be empty at lunchtime if Visit Florida gets axed by legislators in Tallahassee.
There’s no marketing budget for The Catfish Place, in its 43rd year of operation. He attributes at least part of the lunchtime rush to tourists who visit ecotourism attractions nearby, because of the advertising boost provided by the public-private, statewide marketing agency.
“It would hurt,” Johnson said. “It would hurt at the middle of our day here.”
Gov. Rick Scott is squaring off with top lawmakers, including House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, who want to eliminate Visit Florida and Enterprise Florida, the agency that entices companies to add jobs in the state and manages other economic incentive programs. Reactions in Central Florida, the nation’s top tourism and convention destination, are mixed.
Leaders of tourism businesses across Central Florida say Visit Florida fills a needed role by promoting the state internationally and securing media exposure during high-viewership events. Disney, Universal and SeaWorld expressed support for the agency in statements this week. Smaller attractions agree.
“I’m shocked that our state’s leadership is even considering this,” said Mark McHugh, president and chief executive officer of Gatorland. ” … With all the private tourism money being invested in Central Florida to add new attractions and keep us the No. 1 tourist destination in the world, I think it is very dangerous to think that Orlando will be OK if Florida loses momentum or sees a decline in tourism.”
George Aguel, president and chief executive officer of Visit Orlando, another public-private agency that promotes Central Florida specifically, said his state counterpart’s marketing keeps Florida competitive as a “global travel destination.”
Other industry observers say the state’s tourism industry doesn’t need Visit Florida because the agency’s mission overlaps with others doing the same work.
“It is an inefficient way to advertise the tourism industry because it’s such a broad-focused advertising program,” said Rick Foglesong, a professor of Political Science at Rollins College and author of “Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando.”
Corcoran doesn’t support Visit Florida or Enterprise Florida because he says too few businesses benefit from either organization at the expense of state taxpayers.
Tourism-related businesses are more likely to see benefits from private advertising dollars spent by larger attractions, Foglesong said.
“Tourists come for Disney because of Disney, and while they’re here, they spend some money outside of Disney,” he said, adding the growing length of tourists’ stays in Florida is beneficial.
Scott Smith, an assistant tourism professor at the University of South Carolina, said he thinks the current legislative discussion is a form of punishment for previous marketing deals Visit Florida inked, including $1 million spent for ads featuring Pitbull.
Smith said lawmakers were likely responding to demands from their constituents for better transparency of an agency that gets its funding from government coffers. He said the current Tallahassee debate is an extension of that initial outrage.
“It was just a horrible move on the part of Visit Florida,” Smith said. “It’s a classic blunder that has gotten them into a lot of trouble.”
Visit Florida received $76 million in state funding last year.
Foglesong said Visit Florida and Enterprise Florida are not economically driven programs, designed to meet the state’s demands.
“They’re politically driven by a politician’s desire to curry favor with a major industry,” Foglesong said, “rather than economic needs of the state of Florida.”
Johnson’s restaurant took center stage Thursday when Gov. Rick Scott stopped by to host a round table discussion with Central Florida tourism and business leaders, the same day he announced record-breaking tourism numbers for 2016.
Protesters with Americans for Prosperity Florida stood outside The Catfish Place to remind the governor they’re closely following the debate and advocating for the cuts.
“We want people to continue to come to the state,” said Andres Malave, the group’s spokesman. “Before Visit Florida existed, Florida was a hotbed for tourism, and it’s going to continue to be a hotbed for tourism because of the all the great infrastructure we have, our low tax base and people want to come to the state of Florida and continue to visit.”
If Visit Florida does go away, Central Florida tourism leaders wouldn’t be completely lost without any advertising power. They still have two local agencies in their corner, Visit Orlando and Experience Kissimmee.
McHugh said having two local groups to help push tourism is effective, but does have its limitations without the state organization amplifying that messaging.
“Part of their success comes from their relationship with Visit Florida and their ability to leverage our marketing with Visit Florida’s programs and dollars,” he said.
The proposed elimination comes as at least one other state has increased marketing of its tourism offerings, said Roger Dow, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Travel Association, a Florida resident who attended the House committee meeting in which the proposal to eliminate Visit Florida initially passed.
“California is thrilled that you’re having this bill because they have raised their budget to $110 million when it used to be $50 [million],” he said.
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