Associated Press
Florida’s tourism marketing agency was forced to sign a new contract after a newspaper pointed out it hired a firm to advertise to potential Syrian tourists.
VISIT FLORIDA officials said Friday a “clerical error” caused them to include Syria on a list of countries the agency planned to advertise in.
VISIT FLORIDA CEO Ken Lawson signed a $14,000 contract with a German advertising firm back in March that included Syria and nine other Middle Eastern countries.
President Donald Trump included Syria on a list of countries covered by a temporary travel ban.
A spokesman for the agency blamed the mistake on someone cutting and pasting a list of Middle Eastern countries into the contract.
After The Naples Daily News asked questions, VISIT FLORIDA signed a new contract Wednesday that listed only Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
