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Welcome news for welcome centers

Long considered a necessary evil, the four welcome centers at the Florida's state border more than pay for themselves.

At least that's what Visit Florida Inc., the state government's nonprofit tourist marketing corporation, concluded in a recent study.

The study is the latest in a series from the run-government-like-a-business set that tries to justify government spending based on its return on investment.

Visit Florida found that 40 percent of 2.7-million welcome centers visitors in 2002 changed their vacation plans after visiting the centers at the state line on Interstates 75, 95 and 10 along with U.S. 231 in the Panhandle. On average those visitors added 2.79 days to their Florida trip. They spent $78-million more, mostly on hotels and attractions tickets.

The state spends $1.6-million a year operating the welcome centers. In 2002 the government got back $4.7-million in sales tax from the extended stays. That comes to a $2.88 return for every dollar the state spent operating welcome centers.

"Most people who stop at (Florida's welcome centers) drove through five states to get here and visited two other state welcome centers on the way, so we've always considered welcome centers something we had to do," Visit Florida spokesman Tom Flanigan said. "This shows the extra sales tax alone justifies them."

Hotels and tourist attractions pay to have their rack brochures stocked at the welcome center. But some question the expenditure as a dated marketing idea.

"People consider welcome centers a cost center," said Ginger Smith, associate dean of the College of Professional Studies at George Washington University. "They really should consider them a cash center. Studies show that travelers place more trust in print media."