Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonDecember 7, 2018

The state’s tourism marketing arm, VISIT FLORIDA, said Friday that it’s teaming up with JetBlue on a campaign to lure more visitors to Florida. The “JetBlue Sunshine State of Mind Fare Sale” is part of a $9 million effort to help tourism bounce back in the wake of Hurricane Michael, a Category 4 storm that […]

Jacob OglesNovember 27, 2018

It looks like 2018 will be another record year for tourism in Florida, which could be good news both for the hospitality industry and for agencies promoting the state in the nation and abroad. Gov. Rick Scott announced Florida welcomed 95.8 million visitors from January through September, nearly a 7 percent increase from the 89.8 […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 1, 2018

Gov. Rick Scott directed another $3 million to Pinellas County for red tide relief Thursday, bringing the total so far for Pinellas to $6.3 million. The funding comes from the Florida Department of Environment Protection’s red tide emergency fund. Scott is infusing another $3 million into that fund to make sure other Florida counties can access […]

Staff ReportsSeptember 12, 2018

Some 65.5 million visitors came to Florida during the first six months of the year, setting a record for the state’s tourism industry. The numbers represent a 5.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year, Gov. Rick Scott said in a written statement released by his office. They included 58 million domestic visitors, […]

Michael MolineSeptember 4, 2018

A rules change to help Visit Florida comply with legislatively mandated reporting requirements for big contracts will be ready for the organization’s board of directors next week. State law requires Visit Florida to submit contracts in excess of $750,000 to the Joint Legislative Budget Commission. If the commission’s chair and vice chair — or the Senate […]

Michael MolineSeptember 4, 2018

VISIT FLORIDA has begun a search for a replacement for chief marketing officer Nelson Mongiovi, who has resigned effective Sept 11. Vice President for Brand Staci Mellman will serve as interim CMO. Members of the executive committee heard details of the search during a conference call Tuesday. Officials offered no details of Mongiovi’s plans. He did […]

Scott PowersJuly 25, 2018

Meeting with state film industry leaders in Orlando Tuesday, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine renewed his call for a determined push to bring the movie business back to Florida, using it as an example of 21st-century enterprises Florida is rebuffing. “What’s amazing to me: this is low-hanging fruit,” the former Miami Beach mayor said. “This […]

Jacob OglesJuly 14, 2018

Florida’s U.S. senators agree that those crossing the nation’s northern border should get to stay here for a while. Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Marco Rubio filed The Canadian Snowbird Act, legislation that would let older Canadian visitors to the United States stay here as long as eight months without being considered residents. “It’s no […]

Drew WilsonJune 8, 2018

Vacation rental platform Airbnb announced Friday that it has collected and remitted more than $12 million in tax revenue to Miami-Dade and Broward counties over the past year. Those collections are from separate agreements agreed to by each county’s commission that saw Airbnb start automatically collecting 6 percent bed taxes and remitting the revenue directly […]

Danny McAuliffeApril 23, 2018

State-backed tourism campaigns are producing a healthy return on investment. Numbers released Monday from VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s public-private marketing agency, indicate that more Canadians are choosing to retreat to the Sunshine State for vacation stays. The uptick follows increased marketing efforts in the United States’ neighbor to the north. Overall visitation saw an increase […]

Tag: Visit Florida
Image via AP.

VISIT FLORIDA, JetBlue team up to boost tourism

VISIT FLORIDA: State on track for record tourism by end of 2018

Florida tees up another $3 million for red tide relief in Pinellas County

Tourism update: Florida sets another record in attracting visitors

Visit Florida board to vote on new contract oversight rule

Personnel note: Nelson Mongiovi leaving VISIT FLORIDA

Philip Levine: Quest for film business is part of 21st-century economy

Bill Nelson, Marco Rubio file bill wooing Canadian snowbirds for longer visits

Airbnb delivers $12 million in South Florida tax revenue

Big in Canada: VISIT FLORIDA efforts correlate with increased visitation