On January 1, 2019, the Collier Chapter of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) officially merged with the Collier County Lodging & Tourism Alliance (CCLTA). With the merger, the membership of the FRLA Collier Chapter grows to nearly 200 hotels, restaurants, attractions, and allied members. The entire CCLTA board of directors will remain on the Collier chapter of the FRLA, including Randy Smith, who served as the CCLTA President.
“CCLTA has had a strong local presence in the tourism community and at the county government level, and the merge with FRLA will create a vital connection to the state and legislation that impacts Collier’s hospitality industry,” Smith said. “Additionally, this merger will grant our members access to tremendous benefits ranging from free consulting to discounts.”
FRLA members receive free consulting to assist with licenses and permits, discounts on required food certifications and training as well as cost savings for health benefits, prescriptions, payroll processing, tax solutions, loans, hiring and even web design. Current members of CCLTA are able to renew their annual membership at substantial savings for the next two years to encourage participation and further increase membership.
Lois Croft, FRLA Regional Director for Collier, believes the merger will strengthen county’s tourism and hospitality industry.
“Collier’s diverse membership across all sectors of tourism will now speak with a newly-energized voice in Tallahassee,” said Croft. “But the force of the CCLTA here at home will remain intact as their board members have agreed to serve on the FRLA Collier board. This deep local connection was important to all of us to preserve while we worked to increase our influence at the state level.”
For more information on FRLA Collier, please visit the Collier Chapter page or email Lois Croft at [email protected].
