Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Continue Funding, But Substantiate That Program Activities Increase Florida Tourism

Report 99-16, December 1999




Report Summary

  • The Florida Commission on Tourism met the standards for the outcome measures specified in its contract with the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development (OTTED) for Fiscal Year 1998-99. However, these results need to be interpreted with caution because some of the commission's measures reflect Florida's tourism trends rather than the impact of the commission's activities on tourism.
  • The commission and its direct support organization, VISIT FLORIDA, do not currently have outcome measures that indicate whether their promotional activities increased tourism. A task force composed of VISIT FLORIDA managers recently concluded that the corporation should begin to develop return on investment analyses for major programs and proposed several approaches for developing appropriate measures. As such measures are developed, they should be incorporated into the commission's contract with OTTED.
  • Funding for the commission and VISIT FLORIDA should be continued for the next fiscal year. However, as a condition for receiving future funds, the entities should be required to present return on investment analyses that substantiate that their tourism promotion activities add value by stimulating tourism above levels that would have occurred without the activities being performed.


Related Reports
  1. Florida Economic Development Program Evaluations - Year 2
    Report 15-01 January 2015
  2. Progress Report: VISIT FLORIDA Improving Performance Measures and Expanded Rural Partnership Activities
    Report 04-82 December 2004
  3. VISIT FLORIDA Performs Well and Its Funding Should Be Continued; Outcome Measures Should Be Improved
    Report 03-07 January 2003
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
economic development, labor, tourism, marketing, tourist-sales tax, economic impact, direct support organization