Florida tourism-marketing chief Dana Young doesn’t expect Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ongoing fight with The Walt Disney Company to affect this year’s tourism numbers.
In a recent interview with Travel Weekly, Young, the president and CEO of Visit Florida, was asked about several topics that could negatively affect the state.
Included were the legal and political battles that sprung up after Disney opposed a controversial 2022 law that restricts instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
In the news: Florida Gov. DeSantis Slams Republicans Who Criticized His Battle With Disney
The law was titled by supporters as the “Parental Rights in Education” bill but is derided by critics as “don’t say gay.”
“That is a business decision that we don’t feel impacts the tourism product that Disney has,” Young said in the Travel Weekly interview. “Disney has been a longtime partner of Visit Florida. They continue to be a valued partner of Visit Florida, buying into a lot of our programs. People love Disney, they love visiting Disney, and they will continue to go to Disney.”
Visit Florida recently released first-quarter tourism numbers that estimated travel to Florida was up 6.7 percent from the same period in 2022.
The bulk of the 37.9 million visitors were from other states while international travel remained below pre-pandemic totals.
DeSantis on Wednesday kept alive a special district that got caught up in the spat with Disney.
Legislation (HB 1169) signed by DeSantis will allow the 64-year-old Hamilton County Development Authority to continue efforts to help businesses in the rural community where Interstate 75 enters Florida from Georgia.
In the news: Judge Appointed By Trump Takes Over Disney Lawsuit Against Florida Gov. DeSantis
The authority’s board oversees about $3.5 million a year, which is raised primarily through a phosphate rock severance tax.
The authority was one of six special districts that lawmakers and DeSantis targeted for elimination in a bill passed last year. The bill was designed to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which benefited Disney for years. But it also included the Hamilton County authority, the Bradford County Development Authority, the Sunshine Water Control District in Broward County, the Eastpoint Water and Sewer District in Franklin County and the Marion County Law Library.
Each was created before November 1968, when a revamped state Constitution was ratified, and not subsequently reapproved in state law.
While the bill passed last year, the dissolutions were not set to take effect until June 2023 — essentially giving lawmakers time to reconsider.
In February, lawmakers approved a revamp of Reedy Creek, renaming the district the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and giving the governor power to appoint board members.
Entering this year’s regular legislative session, the Hamilton County authority hired lobbyist Sean Pittman and lobbyists from Capital City Consulting to represent it.
The legislation signed by DeSantis will change the district board from eight members appointed by the governor to seven members, with five appointed by the governor and two named by the Hamilton County Commission.
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Signup for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help; visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps.