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Tourism

Visit Florida’s 67 Percent Tourism Funding Cut Is Now Up to the Governor

Dan Peltier

Photo Credit: Visit Florida's budget cut got a final vote of approval this week. Pictured is Lake Worth Beach in South Florida, which draws surfers because the layout of the area makes it a consistently good surfing venue. Visit Florida / Peter W. Cross

Skift Take

Visit Florida's new $25 million budget isn't a done deal yet — the governor could veto, and the Florida legislature could then override that decision. But one thing is for sure: Tourism marketing in Florida faces an uncertain future.

Florida lawmakers made a final vote on Monday to cut Visit Florida's budget by 67 percent, knocking the state from the second most well-funded in the U.S. for tourism promotion to the seventh. Visit Florida, which will receive $25 million (down from $76 million) in funding under a budget bill that heads to the governor's office for a signature, is responsible for helping market destinations in the most visited U.S. state. The organization faces a series of changes that give more oversight and checks and balances to the state legislature. For example, any Visit Florida contract worth more than $750,000 must go through a 14-day consultation period with the state legislature, future Visit Florida CEOs must be confirmed by the state Senate, st

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