Why Visit Florida should continue promoting the state

Tourism is a competitive industry and consumers have many choices. This is why it’s so critical that we promote our state. Recently, the Florida House of Representatives indicated it is not interested in reauthorizing and funding Visit Florida. This would be a huge loss to our state and local economies, as cutting tourism marketing will reduce visitors, along with the tax revenue and jobs they support.

Meeting planners considering Miami, Miami Beach, or specifically Loews Miami Beach Hotel, for events can also consider properties in Dallas, Las Vegas, Atlanta and other popular destinations. Before we can sell our hotels, we must convince planners that holding their meetings and events in Florida will attract more attendees.

As hoteliers, it’s difficult to sell our properties unless the meeting planner has a positive impression and is educated on how much our state has to offer.

This is where the value of local and state tourism promotion agencies come in. The marketing and advertising programs of Visit Florida and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau raise awareness about everything Florida has to offer. Without their efforts and ability to promote Florida on a global level, we would not have seen a record 126.1 million visitors last year. Those visitors help fund nearly a third of our state’s annual budget and, at the local level, help fund services important to Miami-Dade residents, such as infrastructure, schools, public safety, and arts and culture initiatives. The tourism industry also provides jobs for 1.4 million Floridians, including 136,500 in our county alone.

For these reasons, and on behalf of the Loews Miami Beach Hotel’s 650 team members, I ask the Florida House to consider the value Visit Florida brings before making a decision.