Latest news with #TouristDevelopmentCouncil
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Residents celebrate Washington County's heritage at bicentennial bash
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Washington County is celebrating 200 years, and this weekend, residents are wishing a 'Happy Birthday' to the place they call home. The bicentennial bash kicked off Friday night with Family Fun Night in Vernon. The festivities were in full swing Saturday, starting with a parade downtown. Throughout the town, there was music, vendors, and living history demonstrators. The event highlighted and celebrated 200 years of the town's rich heritage. Washington County marks 200 years with bicentennial celebration 'It's fun to show people what Native Americans were like in this area. To talk about my ancestor, who was one of these red stick creeks who came down and to help people, especially kids, you know, you see them light up when they get to touch something like a bison bone or touch a musket or whatever we let them do. And it really brings them alive. And then I think that helps them maybe carry a little spark of appreciation for the people who were here before our generation,' historian Dale Cox said. 'I love our history, and our community embraces our culture. And it was just great for us. To be able to showcase this for the community and for our tourists coming in that want to learn a little bit more about Washington County,' Tourist Development Council Director Heather Lopez said. For more information on the history of Washington County, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
January's tourist development tax reaches record for the month while bouncing back from hurricanes
The Brief January's tourist development tax in Pinellas County was $8.29 million, according to Visit St. Pete-Clearwater – a record for the month. This January's tourism development tax beat the previous record in 2023 by about $4,000. While it did grow overall, St. Petersburg and Clearwater carried most of the weight in January. LARGO, Fla. - Pinellas County is bouncing back in a massive way from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, surprising even some local leaders. Big picture view According to Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, January's tourist development tax, also called the hotel bed tax, money for projects like beach renourishment, was $8.29 million. That's a record for the month. READ: One of Treasure Island's major parking lots remains closed as spring break season gets underway "Demand has held strong since the storm incidents this past fall," Eddie Kirsch, the director of digital and data for Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, said as he presented January's numbers to Pinellas County's Tourist Development Council on Wednesday. "For the third year in a row, the tourism development tax surpassed $8 million in January," he said. This January's tourism development tax beat the previous record in 2023 by about $4,000. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube "It's amazing to me that our January collections in 2025 were better after two hurricanes not too long ago," Pinellas County Commissioner Brian Scott, the Chair of the Council, said. "That's amazing to me and is great news." By the numbers It follows a record December for the TDT too. While it did grow overall, St. Petersburg and Clearwater carried most of the weight in January. St. Pete's TDT grew by nearly 34% compared to last January, totaling about $1.5 million. Clearwater, including its beach, grew by 16%, with more than $2 million. Events like the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show in downtown helped add to those numbers. St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island and Madeira Beach's TDT fell by almost 35% this January compared to last. While hotel demand was up almost 17% compared to last January, outpacing Hillsborough and Sarasota, Kirsch said, council members pointed out other factors could be contributing to that too. MORE: Pinellas hospitality industry welcoming Spring Break visitors after devastating hurricanes "Another thing that I think has helped the hotels out quite a bit are the vacation rentals. There are a lot of those that are closed down and hotels are more available than them," Phil M. Henderson, Jr., the president/CEO of StarLite Cruises, said. Dig deeper Kirsch said more groups visited in January, and there were more daytrips than in the past. He said they're also hoping to reopen about 1,400 hotel rooms by the spring and summer. They hope to keep the momentum going through spring break and the rest of the year. READ:DeSantis stresses spring break safety as Clearwater Beach hotspot prepares for rush "With a later Easter, there's a longer spring travel period that, hopefully, we're able to take advantage of, and we're paying close attention to the hotels and projects that are reopening to make sure that as those start to reopen, we're focused on driving demand and getting those back open," Kirsch said. They're also looking into how locals staying in hotels with FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance program may have factored into the data. Kirsch also credits Visit St. Pete-Clearwater's marketing, though, to the record numbers. More than double the visitors this January said they saw some sort of promotional advertising for the area before their trip. The Source The information in this story was gathered using Visit St. Pete-Clearwater data. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fight still brewing over Gen. 'Chappie James' Memorial. Why TDC opposes funding it.
What is a museum? Members of Escambia's Tourist Development Council say according to state law it's not what is being proposed for the Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. Memorial Plaza, which supporters are calling a museum in order to qualify for Tourist Development Tax dollars. Thursday, the TDC board voted to send a signed letter Council Chair David Bear wrote to Escambia's Board of County Commissioners warning them that the expenditure of $750,000 in Tourist Development Tax funds the board authorized for the construction of the project is not an authorized use of the money because it's not approved for construction of memorials. The letter states the plaza not only fails to meet the criteria for a museum, which would qualify for the funding, but it hasn't been proven that it will be a lure for tourism dollars. The council board unanimously agreed to send the letter to the BOCC and give them a chance to review and discuss it at their next meeting, before sending the same letter to the Florida Department of Revenue, which some say could trigger a state audit. "That might be a little premature because the motion (to fund the Memorial Plaza) was based on information from the Haas Center, which didn't come back with the proof that it contributed to tourism," said TDC member and Escambia District 4 Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger. "I agree, if we can't prove it goes to tourism then it's probably a moot point." Hofberger added that board might be more willing to reconsider its decision based on the results a tourism impact study shows, rather than debating the legal definition of a museum. The results of a recent Haas Center assessment only showed the economic impact the project would have locally, and not its impact on tourism. County staff is now requesting a tourism economic development impact analysis to determine the extent to which the memorial could impact tourism. The Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. Memorial Foundation estimates it will cost $2.3 million to build a plaza honoring Pensacola aviator Gen. Daniel 'Chappie' James, Jr., the first African American to become a four-star general in the U.S. military. The plaza would include a restored F-4 Phantom II, the type of aircraft James flew in the Vietnam War, a larger-than-life statute of James, and a large shield-shaped monument displaying plaques that commemorate James' many accomplishments. Ultimatum pending: 'One roadblock after another' as nonprofit works to create Gen. 'Chappie' James monument TDC Chair David Bear and other council members wanted to send the letter to both the board and the DOR saying the board had most of the information that is included in the warning letter when they voted last month to spend TDT dollars over the council's recommendation not to do it. However, during discussion it was pointed out that there's nothing to report because although the expenditure was approved, the money hasn't been spent because it's contingent on several factors including a study showing that the Memorial Plaza will benefit tourism, and that the city of Pensacola takes ownership of the property, neither of which has happened yet. "I don't know why you're going to so much trouble in this case, but I found out the general drank Miller beer," TDC member Jim Reeves joked to Bear, who runs a competitor brand beverage and beer distributorship. Several of the council members agreed that if the BOCC continued with the allocation despite their opposition then they would vote to send the letter to the DOR. If commissioners decide to add it to the agenda, the next board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 25 at 221 Palafox Place. Public forum begins at 8:30 a.m. and the regular meeting starts at 9 a.m. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: 'Chappie' James Plaza tourism expenditure by Escambia 'unauthorized'
