It is all but certain that Visit Florida will survive
another year of threatened elimination.
Senior leaders in the state House and Senate said after a
March 7 conference that they had agreed to continue funding for the
public-private tourism promotion agency at the current
$50 million level.
The agreement was a concession by House Speaker Jose
Oliva, who had included no money for Visit Florida in his initial budget.
"They really are a good marketing company. They have made us believe they
should exist," Oliva said.
For their part, Senate leaders gave up on a $2.5 million special
advertising earmark they had included in their initial 2020-21 budget.
With Florida likely facing a big drop in visitors this year
because of coronavirus concerns, legislators apparently decided it was not the
time to zero-out tourism promotion.
Budget negotiations continue on other issues, with a final
budget expected early next week.