TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – At the urging of Gov. Rick Scott, dozens of tourism officials and business owners from across the state flooded the Capitol on Tuesday, urging lawmakers to support the governor's call for $76 million in funding for Visit Florida.
Angered in part by a $1 million promotional contract with Miami hip-hop artist Armando Christian Perez, better known as Pitbull, the House on Friday passed legislation (HB 9) that would impose new restrictions on the tourism-marketing agency, with the expectation that the House will also cut funding for Visit Florida.
Ken Lawson, president and CEO of Visit Florida, said the legislation and funding cut would "jeopardize" the state's tourism industry, which is responsible for 1.4 million jobs.
At a rally outside of the governor's office, Scott told Visit Florida supporters that the state has boosted annual visits from tourists to nearly 113 million because of an increased promotional budget.
"How did we do it? We put money up and we marketed the state of Florida," Scott said, urging backers to lobby their legislators on the issue. "Tourism is important in every district in this state, every county in this state," said the governor, who was joined by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.
Florida has achieved "an extraordinary market share" of tourist visits, Putnam said.
"When Coke and McDonald's and Budweiser accomplish the same kind of market share, do they stop advertising? Of course not," Putnam said. "As (former Gov.) Lawton Chiles used to say, `It's a poor frog who won't croak in his own pond.' ''
Ed Caum, a marketing director for Island Paradise Charters in New Port Richey, was one of the local business representatives who also spoke in support of Visit Florida. Caum said the state agency is critical for small companies that cannot afford large promotional budgets. "Visit Florida is our marketing arm for the small businesses, the mom-and-pop businesses," he said.
A bus full of people also departed Jacksonville on Tuesday morning to attend the rally. Richard Goldman of the Visitors and Convention Bureau spoke with News4Jax on his way to Tallahassee.
"In St. Johns County alone, over $67 million are paid just in payroll," Goldman said. "That's money that
stays right in the market."
Goldman said he supports Scott's call for Visit Florida funding.
"We're going to be harmed ourselves," Goldman said. "So that's a message we want our legislators to know."
The bus was scheduled to be back in Jacksonville about 10 p.m. Tuesday.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.