Alert: Save VISIT FLORIDA Funding

[Tallahassee, Fla] As you well know, VISIT FLORIDA must be reauthorized and fully funded in order to ensure that the hospitality industry continues to provide economic benefit the state needs.

The Senate is advancing a bill that would reauthorize VISIT FLORIDA, and Rep. Ponder in the House filed HB 213 to reauthorize VISIT FLORIDA until 2028, but his bill has not been placed on the agenda of the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee‘s last two meetings. Bills must be heard in both the House and the Senate in order for VISIT FLORIDA to have a chance to be reauthorized.

Unless both the House and Senate bills are passed through their respective chambers, VISIT FLORIDA will cease to exist on June 30, 2020, and Florida’s economic landscape will change forever.

Here’s how you can help:

Click the links below to tweet to Representatives La Rosa and Plasencia and urge them to place HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee’s agenda. Without a hearing in the house, there will never be an opportunity to demonstrate the value VISIT FLORIDA brings to the state and our communities.

Tweets & Click to Tweet Links for Rep. La Rosa

  • Tourism promotion keeps FL’s taxes low for residents. Visitors generate revenue so residents don’t have to pay more in taxes. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike) put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida
  • Floridians don’t have to pay a state income tax thx to revenue generated by visitors to our state. We need to reauthorize & fully fund @VISITFLORIDA to keep it that way. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike) put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda.
  • No state tourism promotion = loss of state revenue = fewer jobs = raising taxes on FL residents to pay for programs & services in the state budget. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike), please put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda.
  • Without tourism and tourism promotion, every FL household will pay an additional $1,549 in taxes/yr to maintain our current level of services. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike), put HB 213 on your next agenda. Reauthorize & full fund @VISITFLORIDA!
  • Tourism promotion helps generate $5.5 billion in local tax revenues that our communities use to pay for infrastructure, education, public safety & more. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike) put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida
  • FL visitors mean no state income tax, lower tax base, economic opportunity & 1.4 working Floridians. Tourism & tourism promotion helps to make it happen. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike) put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida
  • Keep powering FL’s economy thru tourism promotion. Tourism brings business & opportunities into the state, which means no state income tax. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike), please put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida
  • 3+ BILLION in state sales tax collection can be directly attributed to purchases made by visitors to FL. We need to reauthorize & fully fund @VISITFLORIDA to prevent a state income tax. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike) put HB 213 on your subcommittee’s next agenda.
  • Tourism is FL’s top economic driver. Our communities & local businesses rely on out-of-state visitors and the revenue they bring. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike), let us show you the value and benefits @VISITFLORIDA provides by putting HB 213 on your next agenda.
  • The FL Legislature’s own economist says, “most recent sales tax forecast relies heavily on strong tourism growth.” Tourism growth = tourism promotion = @VISITFLORIDA. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike) put HB 213 on your subcommittee’s agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida
  • FL’s chief economist says that a heathy Florida economy relies on ensuring that “no events that have significant repercussions affecting tourism” occur. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike), our state budget revenue relies on @VISITFLORIDA. Put HB 213 on the agenda.
  • FL’s chief economist: “Currently, tourism-related revenue losses pose the greatest potential risks to the economic outlook” of the state. @VISITFLORIDA helps fund our state budget. Rep. La Rosa (@larosamike), please put HB 213 on your subcommittee’s agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida

Tweets & Click to Tweet Links for Rep. Plasencia

  • Tourism promotion keeps FL’s taxes low for residents. Visitors generate revenue so residents don’t have to pay more in taxes. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS) put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida
  • Floridians don’t have to pay a state income tax thx to revenue generated by visitors to our state. We need to reauthorize & fully fund @VISITFLORIDA to keep it that way. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS) put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda.
  • No state tourism promotion = loss of state revenue = fewer jobs = raising taxes on FL residents to pay for programs & services in the state budget. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS), please put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda.
  • Without tourism and tourism promotion, every FL household will pay an additional $1,549 in taxes/yr to maintain our current level of services. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS), put HB 213 on your next agenda. Reauthorize & full fund @VISITFLORIDA!
  • Tourism promotion helps generate $5.5 billion in local tax revenues that our communities use to pay for infrastructure, education, public safety & more. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS) put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida
  • FL visitors mean no state income tax, lower tax base, economic opportunity & 1.4 working Floridians. Tourism & tourism promotion helps to make it happen. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS) put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida
  • Keep powering FL’s economy thru tourism promotion. Tourism brings business & opportunities into the state, which means no state income tax. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS), please put HB 213 on the House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida
  • 3+ BILLION in state sales tax collection can be directly attributed to purchases made by visitors to FL. We need to reauthorize & fully fund @VISITFLORIDA to prevent a state income tax. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS) put HB 213 on your subcommittee’s next agenda.
  • Tourism is FL’s top economic driver. Our communities & local businesses rely on out-of-state visitors and the revenue they bring. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS), let us show you the value and benefits @VISITFLORIDA provides by putting HB 213 on your next agenda.
  • The FL Legislature’s own economist says, “most recent sales tax forecast relies heavily on strong tourism growth.” Tourism growth = tourism promotion = @VISITFLORIDA. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS) put HB 213 on your subcommittee’s agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida
  • FL’s chief economist says that a heathy Florida economy relies on ensuring that “no events that have significant repercussions affecting tourism” occur. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS), our state budget revenue relies on @VISITFLORIDA. Put HB 213 on the agenda.
  • FL’s chief economist: “Currently, tourism-related revenue losses pose the greatest potential risks to the economic outlook” of the state. @VISITFLORIDA helps fund our state budget. Rep. Plasencia (@CoachP_CHS), please put HB 213 on your subcommittee’s agenda. #SaveVisitFlorida