Tourists may clog roads, beaches and cafes, but their economic impact makes life better throughout the state, Florida TaxWatch says.
By KRIS HUNDLEY, Times Staff Writer
Published March 21, 2006
[Times photo: Stephen J. Coddington]
Tourists crowd around to watch Cindy Brieske, a volunteer with the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, feed manatees during a manatee education program at the park Monday afternoon.
COUNTING ON TOURISTS A new analysis indicates Florida's tourism industry has shrugged off hurricanes and Red Tide scares as it moves toward breaking the 100-million-a-year visitor mark in a few years. Among the highlights:
* Record number of visitors to Florida in 2005: nearly 86-million.
* Average pay for tourism-related job: $42,000.
* Revenue from tourism and recreation in 2005: $62-billion.
* State taxes generated from tourism revenue from 2005 to 2010: $12-billion to $13.8-billion.
* Only Miami and Orlando are plagued with above-average traffic congestion. Other Florida cities rank below comparable metro areas in other states.
Source: Florida TaxWatch
If you've been stuck in traffic lately or waited in line for a table at your favorite restaurant, you might disagree with the conclusion of a report released by Florida TaxWatch on Monday on the impact of tourism on the state's economy.
The nonprofit institute's take on the hordes of visitors clogging our roads, beaches and theme parks: It's all good.
"It's wonderful for the state," said Harvey Bennett, communications director for the Tallahassee group. "Tourists come here, spend money and contribute to our tax base, but do not often use the services those taxes are paying for, like education. So Floridians are able to export some of their tax burden to nonresidents."
Last year, Florida attracted a record number of visitors - nearly 86-million - with tourism showing an upswing even during the 2005 hurricane season.
And though foreign tourists, who spend twice as much as domestic visitors, haven't yet returned in numbers seen before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, air travel to the state has rebounded nicely over the past few years.
That's critical because air travelers are bigger spenders than those who come to Florida by car, boat, train or bus. While the average Florida tourist stays five nights, those who come by plane spend about $163 a day, compared with $107 a day for those who come by other modes of transportation, according to Florida TaxWatch.
All those dollars added up to an estimated $62-billion in tourism and recreation-related transactions in 2005. General state taxes generated by these transactions are expected to total between $12-billion and $13.8-billion from 2005 to 2010.
Including businesses that supply the tourist sector and spending by tourism employees, Florida TaxWatch predicts travel will generate $103-billion to $136-billion in economic output in the state by 2010 and 1.5-million to 1.8-million jobs.
The 53-page report, the watchdog group's first dissection of tourism dollars since 2000, is intended to persuade state legislators to continue investing in the linchpin industry.
One number that jumps out of the analysis: Florida TaxWatch claims average compensation for all direct and indirect tourism-related jobs is $42,000 a year.
That's likely due to the tax group's broad definition of a tourism job as including more than rank-and-file service providers.
"It's much more than the housekeepers and busboys many people tend to think of when you think of tourism jobs," said Florida TaxWatch's Bennett. "We're figuring in the engineers that design the new hotels, the construction crews that build the new roads, the upper-level management that works behind the scenes."
Dominic M. Calabro, Florida TaxWatch's president and chief executive, said that while the report card on Florida tourism is promising, the state needs to be proactive in three areas to make sure the economic engine keeps humming:
--The state's roads, bridges and airports have to continually be upgraded to meet anticipated demand from both residents and a growing number of tourists, so visitors will want to return, he said.
Florida TaxWatch's report says only Miami and Orlando currently suffer traffic congestion exceeding the national average, while the Tampa Bay area and other metro areas in the state are below average in that regard.
--Affordable housing has to be addressed so the tourism industry can attract and retain both entry-level and professional workers.
"Work force issues are increasingly on the front burner, and they're a great challenge for our tourist sector," Calabro said.
--Finally, visa issues have to be resolved so Central and South American tourists can travel to Florida with the same ease with which they visited before Sept. 11, 2001.
"Overall it's great news about tourism," said Calabro, whose group did not put a specific price tag on its tourism recommendations. "But looking forward, there are challenges. They're doable, but it will take coordinated effort and investment."
