The Florida Senate

It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a public-private partnership to provide policy direction to and technical expertise in the promotion and marketing of the state’s tourism attributes. The Legislature further intends to authorize this partnership to recommend the tenets of an industry standard 4-year marketing plan for an annual marketing plan for tourism promotion and recommend a comparable organizational structure to carry out such a plan. The Legislature intends to have such a plan funded by that portion of the rental car surcharge annually dedicated to the Tourism Promotional Trust Fund, pursuant to s. 212.0606, and by the tourism industry.

Further, it is the intent of the Legislature to mobilize all the available resources of Florida’s vital tourism industry in a state-sponsored public-private partnership to promote and enhance Florida tourism. The state’s consistent, clearly articulated, and long-standing policy has been to promote collective action by state and local government authorities and the various representatives of the tourist industry to upgrade the image of Florida as a quality destination and to assure, to the maximum extent possible, that the benefits of such collective action are extended equitably throughout the state. To carry out the implementation of this policy, the Legislature finds that it is in the public interest to maintain the Florida Commission on Tourism under the aegis of the Executive Office of the Governor to focus and provide state supervision of ongoing collective action to promote Florida tourism. The Legislature further finds that it is in the public interest for activities in promotion and support of Florida tourism to be carried out by a private sector, direct-support organization created expressly for such purpose as the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation. By creating this public-private partnership, it is the intent of the Legislature to coordinate existing private and public-funded tourism promotional activities in a cost-effective manner to avoid waste and duplication in these activities while achieving the maximum public benefit from all expenditures that directly and indirectly support Florida tourism.