TDC Backup 11/21/2011 COLLIER COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE
MEETING AGENDA
November 21,2011
3:00 PM—5:00 PM
1. CALL TO ORDER—CHAIRMAN HILLER
2. CHANGES/APPROVAL OF AGENDA
3. APPROVAL OF TDC SUBCOMMITTEE MINUTES
a. *Regular Meeting July 28,2011
4. NEW BUSINESS
a. Discussion on Additional Funding Alternatives
• A Business Case for Tourism in Collier County—Rick Medwedeff
b. Coastal Zone Management Report to Subcommittee—Gary McAlpin
c. Subcommittee Draft Report
5. QUESTION & ANSWER PERIOD
6. SUBCOMMITTEE DISCUSSION
7. NEXT MEETING DATE/LOCATION
a. Discuss Next Sub Committee Meeting Date, Location,Format and Agenda
8. ADJOURNMENT
Tourism
A business case for Economic Impact, Jobs, and Quality of Life in Collier County
Rick Medwedeff General Manager and Tourist Development Council Member
Tourism has always been recognized as one of the major economic drivers for Collier
County. In 2010, Tourism had a $1.2 Billion dollar economic impact on our community.
It is estimated that over 29,000 jobs in the county are related to tourism. The volume and
variety of our quality dinning and entertainment options are directly connected to tourism
as many of these facilities could not sustain themselves in the absence of these travelers
(higher capture versus residents) and as such, impacts the quality of life for both full and
part time residents. Additionally, there is a halo effect that is created from the luxury
products we promote in our county that inevitably raise the value of our homes and
encourage real estate growth.
There are some however who have blamed tourism for the congestion and excessive
traffic resulting in a reduction in quality of life for its residents. The facts however show
that of the population growth of Collier County "in-season" (January through April)
approximately 100,000, tourism contributes about 23% to that growth. (9,638 rentable
rooms x 80%occupancy x 3 people per room=23,131).
If we recognize these facts, why does our county continue to spend tourist development
tax dollars in such a way that puts us at a competitive disadvantage? As a reminder, this
tax is paid only by our tourist who stay in one of the 9,638 rentable units and not by the
residents. The disadvantage I am referring to is the percentage of the tax collected that is
actually spent on marketing and promoting our destination compared to our competitor
markets. The following chart shows that comparison.
Adv/Promo as a Percent of Total Funding
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30% -
-
20%
10
0%
-
�� e Cr ot� Q2 ,got` � \`ot cp
e, e We have the lowest percentage (25%) of our tourist tax dollars promoting our destination
compared to our competitor markets. The funding allocated to this effort affords our
community a "partial year" (5 months) advertising and promotion exposure, and within
those months of advertising, a limited reach and penetration. So if we have the lowest
allocation of tourist tax dollars going to advertising and promoting our destination, how is
the rest of the tax being allocated?
Collier County has the highest percentage of tourist tax dollars allocated for beaches and
beach park facilities as shown below.
Beaches and Beach Park Facilities Allocation as a
% of Total Tax Collection
60% - —
50%
40%
30%
20% —
10%
0% n El n , n•
Gds• se, �a��� ��a "c a���\� too'`` Q�� \�°� �\ �
5 c Qa G�ct' Ce
Collier County is also the only county of our "competitor county sample" that spends
tourist development tax dollars on"operating" costs of county owned museums estimated
to be approximately $1.4 million dollars in 2012.
So, how could our County Commissioners change this and enable more dollars to be
allocated on a permanent basis to attracting more tourists that would drive more
economic impact and more jobs? Well, some have suggested increasing the tourist
development tax to 5% (like most other counties) in Florida. Many politicians at the
National and State level also believe that additional taxes is the solution to funding
problems versus ensuring that the taxes currently collected are spent in the most efficient
way. As a community we must reject this approach not only on principle but based on
the following analysis.
Increasing the tourist development tax would negatively impact our convention / group
business. Over the last 4 years, the convention / group segment represents on average
39% of our hotel lodging room revenues in Collier County. Unlike a leisure traveler who
probably does not inquire about the tourist development tax rate prior to making a buying
decision, meeting planners do as they have a defined budget for their meeting. Our
county is at a competitive disadvantage when competing for this segment of business due
to 4 major factors: Cost of Airfare, availability and number of direct flights to RSW /
Naples, and cost of ground transportation to hotels from the airport. The following shows
a selected set of dates of travel "in-season" and the related airfare and ground
_
transportation costs in our market versus our primary competitor markets:
Source: Expedia.com
February 19 -23,
2012 New York DC Chicago Philadelphia New Jersey
(NYC) (WAS) (CHI) (PHL) (EWR) Avg
Ft. Myers (RSW) $344 $247 $255 $301 $279 $285
Miami (MIA) $333 $145 $339 $359 $209 $277
Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) $343 $165 $327 $279 $199 $263
Orlando (MCO) $316 $184 $210 $221 $205 $227
Avg Competitor
Market Cost $331 $165 $292 $286 $204
Ft. Myers Premium $13 $82 -$37 $15 $75
From our primary feeder markets during this time of the year, the average cost of airfare
into RSW versus our primary competitive markets is the highest. From these primary
feeder markets all with exception of Chicago, cost anywhere from $13 to $82 on average
more to fly into RSW than competitor markets. Over these set of dates there were no
-' direct flights from the feeder markets into Naples and there were significantly less going
into RSW versus the competitor markets.
Ground Transportation (55 Passenger Bus)from Airport to Hotel (Roundtrip)
Marco Island Beach Resorts $1,572
Miami Beach Resorts $1,000
Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resorts $1,000
Orlando (Disney Area Resorts) $732
Ground transportation costs are also the highest for our county due to the distance from
RSW to our county hotels and resorts. Taking this information and expanding it to a
group of 55 attendees the following is a cost comparison of markets:
Costs for 55 Attendees Airfare Ground Transportation Total
Naples/Marco Island $15,686 $1,572 $17,258
Miami Beach Resorts $15,235 $1,000 $16,235
Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resorts $14,443 $1,000 $15,443
Orlando (Disney Area Resorts) $12,496 $732 $13,228
Due to the fact we have limited to no impact on the availability of direct flights, cost of
airfare into our market, and hotels distance from the airport, these costs will always put
our county at a disadvantage versus the competitor markets. The only offset to this is our
1 percentage point less in tourist development tax versus these competitor markets.
Although in most cases this tax differential does not offset the overall cost difference, it
narrows the gap and enables our county to compete for this critical segment of business.
We can ill afford to loose this negotiating tool.
So, if raising the tourist tax rate is not the smart approach, how should we re-allocate the
existing tourist development tax structure and at what level should we target funding our
advertising and promotion budget. I am a firm believer that you should always
benchmark off of the best performer to establish a goal of improvement. Over the past 4
years, two markets stand out over all others — Florida Keys and Miami both performing
10 points of occupancy better than Naples /Marco Island. The Florida Keys is primarily
a leisure market whereas Miami has both a leisure and convention group mix similar to
our market. Therefore, if we benchmarked against Miami, we would adjust our tourist
tax allocation for Sales& Marketing of 25%to 45%of total funds.
The following permanent restructuring is suggested, however a transitional plan over the
next 5 years would be recommended.
Existing Recommended
Tourist Development Tax Allocation Allocation Allocation
Fund 195 Cat. A: Beach Re-nourishment/inlet
management 33.33% 34.00%
Fund 183 Cat. A: Beach Park Facilities 16.67% 6.00%
Fund 184 Cat. B: Marketing & Promotions 25.00% 45.00%
Fund 193 Cat C: Non County Museums 2.40% 2.40% —
Fund 198 Cat C: County Museums 11.00% 0.00%
Fund 194 Cat B: Admin &Overhead 11.60% 12.60%
The significant changes in allocation is the elimination of funding operational costs of
county owned museums (fund 198) and the reduction of funding of beach park facilities
(fund 183). The operating costs of museums was funded from the County's general fund
up until the year 1996 when it was changed to the tourist development tax funding. This
cost belongs back in the general fund as it is not a driver of tourism in"our market". The
beach park facilities' account has amassed a funding balance of over $12 million dollars
and is clearly over funded.
The transitional plan I referred to earlier would be as follows:
Given the current overall economic conditions of our county, delay the transfer of
funding of the operating costs of county museums for a period of 5 years. However, set a
mandatory requirement for these museums to engage in self funding activities (similar to
the Non-County Museums).
Starting in 2012, change the funding of Cat A fund 183 to a 6% allocation and transfer 9
percentage points to the Cat B fund 184 (Marketing & Promotions) 1 percentage point to
Cat B fund 194 (Admin & Overhead) and .67 percentage points to Cat A: Beach Re-
nourishment/inlet management fund. Bridge the final 11 percentage points necessary to
achieve the 45%target for Marketing & Promotions by reallocating $1.4 million dollars a
year for the next 5 years from the reserve funds of Cat. A fund 183 (currently over $12
million dollars) to Cat B fund 184 (Marketing & Promotions). That would still leave
over $4 million dollars in fund 183 after direct spending of $1 million a year over the
next 5 years.
This plan protects our prime asset (our beaches) with increased funding, has no
immediate impact on any beach funding projects or general fund requirements, and puts
our county on track to increase tourism in our community. Over the past 4 years our
county has had an average of 60% occupancy of our lodging products. If we could
increase that to a 70% occupancy (like Miami), that would represent over 350,000
additional room-nights, over $167 million in direct spend, and over $249 million in
economic impact. Now that is a"JOBS"plan.
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Updated on 11/14/11 based on CAC review/recommendations on 11/10/11.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Recommend that the CAC recommend approval of the revised 10 year - Fund 195
Master Plan.
OBJECTIVE:
CONSIDERATIONS: At the 10/13/2011 the CAC requested a review of the 10-year
Master Plan with the objective to defer, combine or eliminate potential projects due to
funding constraints.
A revised 10-year master plan dated 10/31/2011 is attached and has incorporated the
following changes:
1. Advances Wiggins Pass channel straightening project to FY 12/13. This
eliminates $50K in engineering for FY 11/12 and also a $750K maintenance
dredge in FY 12/113. Eliminates the duplication of barefoot beach renourishment
which is accounted for in the major renourishment in FY13/14. Now $1.7M
versus $3.5M in previous documents. $2.8M included in major FY13/14
renourishment for Barefoot Beach.
2. Moves Clam Pass dredging out till FY14/15. (Tidal flushing needs will trigger this
event only).
3. Moves Doctors Pass dredging out to FY14/15 and potentially combines with
Clam Pass.
4. Uses Caxambas Pass as the sand source for the FY 12/13 Marco Island Sand
Source and eliminates the need for dredging Caxambas Pass for this cycle.
5. Eliminates the Vista Emergency Truck haul project scheduled for FY11/12 and
accomplishes with 13/14 renourishment. Saves $350,000.
6. Splits Marco design into the beaches ($150K) in FY 11/12 and the structure
rebuild ($100K) in FY 12/13.
7. Splits Marco Renourishment in FY12/13 for $1,800K; Structure rebuild in 13/14
for $1,200K and eliminates an erosion control structure from the scope saving
$700,000.
8. Increases Laser Grading on north Marco due to permit changes ($50K) and adds
$20K every other year for laser grading.
9. Reduces Tigertail Beach refurbishment from $25K to $5K.
With these changes and no Federal or State funding, staff is predicting a $5,000K
shortfall in FY 13/14 with a $20,000K major beach renourishment project.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of
these changes to the 10 year master Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT: The Source of funds is from Category "A" Tourist Development Tax
fund.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: There is no impact to the Growth Management
Plan related to this action.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item has been reviewed and approved by the
County Attorney's Office. This item is not quasi-judicial, and as such ex parte disclosure
is not required. This item requires majority vote only. This item is legally sufficient for
Board action. - CMG
RECOMMENDATION: Recommend that the CAC recommend approval of the revised
10 year- Fund 195 Master Plan.
PREPARED BY: Gary McAlpin
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Background:
Commissioner Hiller appointed a special subcommittee of the TDC in April, 2011 to review the
current funding allocations and destination marketing efforts to attract visitors to our community.
The subcommittee has met six times from April 1 to July 28, 2011. A synopsis of each of those
meetings follows with the various reports prepared by staff. The topics of discussion ranged from
comparative funding of competing Florida destinations, current marketing and media plans and
implementations, and leisure and group marketing initiatives.
Members of the Subcommittee include:
Commissioner Georgia Hiller, Chairman
Councilman Jerry Gibson, Marco Island
Clark Hill, GM Hilton Naples
Rick Medwedeff, GM Marriott Marco Island
Bob Miller, Owner Oyster House Restaurant,Everglades City
Murray Hendel, Presidents Council Chairman (appointed to join the subcommittee to present a
new funding proposal).
The initial plan was to hold meetings in April and May 2011, but as the subcommittee reviewed
the task ahead,they concurred that several more meetings would be required.
The following sections contain a synopsis of each meeting including agenda topics, meeting
materials and reports compiled by staff for committee review and summary comments, including
action items based upon subcommittee input.
This analysis served as the framework to identify opportunities and develop recommendations to
augment current and future destination marketing efforts as detailed in the FY 12 Strategic
Marketing Plan that was approved by the Collier County Commission on October 11, 2011.
*Incorporated in FY 12 Strategic Marketing Plan
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April 1,2011 Subcommittee Meeting
The agenda for the first meeting included:
• Review of Florida Sunshine Law
• Mission and Vision statements for the Convention and Visitors Bureau(CVB)
• Discussion of the format and attendees invited to future subcommittee meetings
• Review and recommendation to follow the guidelines developed for the County
Commission approved Group Market initiatives
• Review of comparative marketing and other tourist tax spending by competing Florida
destinations
• Staff was requested to provide the subcommittee with the following at the April 22, 2011
subcommittee meeting
o How other Florida Counties finance beach renourishment other than with Tourist
Tax Revenue
o What other sources of revenue can be used to promote tourism to the destination
o What is our percentage of reserves in our various tourist tax funds
o Where does revenue from projects funded by tourist tax go- tourism funds or to
general fund?
o Schedule for and subject matter for the next four subcommittee meetings:
• Review of the current advertising and marketing plan including PR, sports
and promotions
• Allocations of tourist development tax
• Tourism Industry and community input meeting
• Tourism industry workshops prior to each seasonal campaign
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The following is a listing of the various materials that staff compiled and supplied the
subcommittee members for review at the April 1, 2011 meeting. These materials can be found
under Appendix # 1.
• Tourist tax funding categories and percentages delegated to each under Collier County
Ordinance 2005-14
• 2010 Tourism Impact Facts from Research Data Services, Inc, Collier County Tax
Collector, Smith Travel Research
• 2010 Visitor Profile by month and quarter
• Tourism Employment Statistics for Collier County
• Visitation data from top feeder markets from 2000-2010
• List of"Best of' awards the destination will target to be included on in the future
• Destination media plan for calendar year 2011
• Destination media plan for Spring/Summer 2011 campaign
• Smith Travel Research report comparing Hotel Occupancy and Average Daily Rate for
our destination vs. Miami, Florida Keys, Ft. Myers, Sarasota/Bradenton, Clearwater/St.
Petersburg, Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale for the year 2010
• Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB Co-op advertising program for 2010 indicating a
contribution from partners of$175,205.34 for 2011 through March 30.
• Value added media and promotion dollars negotiated by the Paradise Advertising media
team on behalf of the destination in the amount of$727,878. These dollars were provided
to our destination at no additional cost to us.
• Group market budgets enhanced with additional funds granted by County Commission in
the amount of$500,000.
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• Detailed guidelines for each of the segments of this group market push including Out of
Market sales missions, in-market familiarization trips, Request for Proposal (RFP)
enhancements, enhanced research and group market public relations.
• Comparisons of group market booked business from 2007-2010
• Preliminary comparisons of how other Florida beach destinations fund their beach
renourishment projects.
• List of trade shows the destination will attend on behalf of our hotel and attraction
partners in 2011
• Attributes of our destination that our visitors indicate attracts them here
• Overview of the Ft. Myers Sanibel destination statistics for visitation
• Analysis of, and overview of,the Sarasota area CVB summer marketing plan for 2011
• Analysis of Brazilian visitors in 2010 indicating spending of$930,442 from Visa charges
• Analysis of tourist tax revenues and uses in our competitive destinations in Florida
• Tourist tax rates and allocations from Department of Revenue study dated 3/11
• Analysis by marketing discipline of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB for FY
10 expenses and budgets.
Meeting Outcomes:
• Overall strategic discussion addressed"what we have vs. what we need"
• Available funds should be directed into advertising in order to structure a more robust
year-round marketing effort.
• The plan for the subject matter for and number of future meetings needed was discussed
All other agenda items were continued to the April 22 meeting
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April 22, 2011 Subcommittee Meeting
The agenda for the second meeting of the TDC subcommittee included:
The following items were continued from April 1 meeting:
• Review of the current FY 11 CVB Marketing Plan
• Review of the CVB Media Plan for the balance of FY 11
o Copies of the media plan were distributed to the subcommittee members at the
April 1 subcommittee meeting.
• Review of the promotional efforts of the FY 11 marketing campaign
o Spreadsheet of the negotiated promotions as part of the FY 11 media buy were
supplied to the subcommittee members at the April 1 meeting
The following agenda items were continued from the April 1 meeting:
• Review the definition of state reimbursement for beach projects and how access and
number of parking spaces impacts that reimbursement percentage.
• Report from Clark Hill on his meeting with the Clerk of the Circuit Court
• "Best Of'awards won by destination to date
o Subcommittee suggested current awards need to be listed on website and included
in industry advertising to maximize destination visibility
• Review of Beach project funding for competing Florida destinations including miles of
beach, funding sources for projects and number of parking spaces
• How birding is promoted in our area
• Group meeting special promotion guidelines for FY 11 and new reporting format
o Subcommittee suggested a revised format for future reports related to the use of
these funds to include whether these leads are tentative or definite for future
meeting dates
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The subcommittee was supplied the following information for their review. These materials can
be found in Appendix#2:
• 2010 Tourism Impact Facts with comparisons to 2009. Highlights include:
o #Visitors 1,383500+ 3.3%
o Economic Impact $1,166,078,894 +3.4%
o Tourist Tax Revenue $12,973,646+6%
o Visitor Sales&Gas Tax Revenue $74,650,000+3.4%
o Annual Hotel Room Nights 2,052,310 +3.3%
• Winter advertising campaign overview and media plan for the National,Northeast and
Midwest U.S., and Canada focused campaigns
• Memo from Clark Hill summarizing his meeting with the Clerk of the Circuit Court on
the audit of the Tourism Department. Mr. Brock assured Mr. Hill that all tourist tax funds
would be included in the audit and reports would be forthcoming on where the parking
fees for beach parking facilities are deposited and how they are used.
o Subcommittee asked for clarification on the guidelines on seasonal residents that
own property in Collier County receive beach parking stickers.
• Guidelines for the group meeting initiatives funded by the emergency marketing funds
approved by the County Commission
o Out of Market Sales Missions—Budget$150,000
o In market familiarization trips (FAM's)—Budget$175,000
o In Market Sponsorships for support of Requests for Proposals (RFP's)to assist
partners in getting definite commitments for future meetings- Budget$125,000
o Meeting Planner Qualifications Guidelines to ensure quality planners are included
in the various group initiatives
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o Scope of Services for Event Planner if needed to support these new sales efforts
Meeting Outcomes:
• Identified 62%average annual hotel occupancy resulting in a 38%average annual
vacancy rate based upon destination research reports. Unsold inventory highlights the
need for a more robust year-round destination marketing program.
Several items continued to May 6 meeting pending additional information to include:
Report documenting budget,total expenditure and source of funding for beach renourishment
and beach park facilities for competing Florida destinations
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May 6,2011 Subcommittee Meeting
The agenda for this subcommittee meeting was as follows:
The following items were continued from the April 22 meeting:
• Approval of minutes from April 1 and April 22 meetings
• Review of media plan for Spring/Summer CVB marketing and advertising campaign
• "Best of'list of awards for the destination
• Review of group meeting initiative guidelines
The following agenda items were continued from the April 22 meeting:
• Review of funding allocations for competing Florida destinations
• Review of promotions negotiated as part of media buy and co-op advertising
contributions from tourism partners such as hotels and attractions
• Confirmation of the format and invitees for the next subcommittee meetings
• How birding is promoted in our area
The subcommittee members discussed the following:
• Clarification of the minutes of the first two meetings and word changes
• Funding Analysis Spreadsheet for all competing Florida destinations as compiled by the
tourism department staff
o Beach Projects Budgets spreadsheet including percentages for beach projects and
marketing and administration
o Details of how each use of the tax is designated by each County ordinance
o Refinements to the spreadsheet were suggested to include clarification of column
headings, percentage of occupancy and ranking the statistics from high to low.
• Reviewed and discussed the BCC approved funding policy for Beach Renourishment and
Inlet Management projects and fund reserves
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• The subcommittee was supplied with the following as attachments to the agenda. These
items can be found under Appendix# 3
o An updated and refined list of"Best of'mentions that the Naples, Marco Island,
Everglades CVB has received to date.
o Media plan for each of the campaigns
o 2010 and 2011 Added Value Overview of negotiated promotions to accompany
each year's media and marketing plan
o 2010 Co-op advertising participation by area tourism partners totaling$142,728.
o April Smith Travel Research Report of our area and our competing destinations in
Florida.
Meeting Outcomes:
• Analysis of Tourist Development Tax (TDT) allocations by Ordinance and request for
TDT allocation of competitive set of destinations.
Discussion of TDT allocation to county owned museums and request for historical data on
museum allocations from General Fund.
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June 3 Subcommittee Meeting
The agenda for the fourth meeting of the TDC subcommittee included:
The following items were continued from the May 6 meeting:
• Funding allocations of the tourist tax in competing Florida destinations
• Smith Travel Research Report for competing destinations in Florida
• Spring/Summer media plan review
The following items were continued from the May 6 meeting:
• Promotions review including value added negotiated promotions and co-op advertising
from industry partners results
• Format for next subcommittee meeting on June 30
The subcommittee members discussed the following:
• Reviewed the spreadsheet of tourist tax funding allocations for Collier and our competing
destinations of the Florida Keys, Palm Beach, Miami and Sarasota.
• Spring/Summer media plan for marketing Collier County to the Florida markets of
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg
• Reviewed the value added promotions negotiated by the Paradise Advertising media
department as part of the annual media buy for the destination. This report indicates that
$775,014 in media value was negotiated at no additional cost to the destination.
• Discussed the plan to have two more meetings and invite representatives from the
tourism industry to review the various elements of the destination marketing plan and
budgets for implementing that plan. Additional information was also requested of staff to
prepare for the next meeting.
o Determine the impact of a one percent increase in occupancy on revenue and jobs
o Add Orlando to the Smith Travel analysis of competing destinations for
comparative data
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o Discussion on how we can build the nightlife offerings in the destination. How
might we influence the reduction of impact fees or shorten the time for approvals
of new businesses. Efforts to increase nightlife in the destination should focus in
popular shopping and dining clusters. Suggestions include exploring cooperative
marketing opportunities with owners/operators of successful clubs on east coast of
Florida.
o Discuss ways to improve tourism friendly transportation in our community. A
tourism oriented corridor integrating transportation resources (taxi companies,
public transportation, bus companies) will increase tourism.
o Work with Ft. Myers Airport marketing team to attend future meetings with
prospective airlines. Explore regional partnership with Lee and Charlotte
Counties to increase air service into RSW. Research other airports that service
competing destinations to determine feasibility of receiving federal grant funding
in addition to those already in process with the Federal Department of
Transportation to attract additional air service to the destination and region.
o Develop a study to measure the average wages in hotels in our community.
Tourism generates the tax that builds infrastructure (45 visitors= 1 tourism job).
Include labor statistics and average wage breakdown for hospitality industry
employees.
o Invite representatives from the following organizations to attend the next meeting.
• Sports Council of Collier County
• CVB (Tourism Department staff)
• Concierge Association
• Naples Originals Restaurants
• Downtown Naples Business Improvement District (BID)
• Seminole Casino—Immokalee
• National and State Parks
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• Waterside and Mercato Shopping Districts
• United Arts Council
• Publishers of Naples Daily News and other community publications
o Provide the attendees of past and future subcommittee meetings with the
following information prior to the next meeting:
• CVB Marketing Plan
• Tourism Department and Museums FY 12 proposed budget
• Comparisons with competing destinations
• Samples of ads and on-line marketing efforts
• Current tourist tax funding allocations in pie chart
• The subcommittee members were provided with the following reports. These can be
found in Appendix#4:
o Revised analysis of competing destinations with revised column headings
o Smith Travel Research Report for May
The following ideas were suggested by the attendees:
• Elaine Hamilton with United Arts Council offered to add nightlife to their weekly e-blast
of"Best Bets for the Weekend"
• Industry representatives will supply what they are doing to market their businesses that
complement or are different than what the CVB is doing
• Staff to provide the following:
o Copies of the brand research done by Research Data Services, Inc. in past years
o List of publications that have visited the destination and have written articles
about the area.
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Meeting Outcomes:
More input was needed from tourism industry and business community as to how to promote the
destination from their perspective.
Inadequate funding for year round promotion is a contributing factor to occupancy deficit.
13
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June 30 TDC Subcommittee Meeting
The agenda for the fifth TDC subcommittee meeting included the following:
• Input from the tourism industry and the Collier business community on their assessment
of the marketing initiatives undertaken by the CVB
• Set the plan for additional meetings with the tourism industry for input on the strategic
marketing plan for the destination
The meeting attendees were provided with a presentation by the CVB of the proposed marketing
plan as set to date for the next fiscal year beginning October 1, 2011. The presentation included
highlights of the following:
• Competitive position of our destination in the worldwide tourism marketplace
• Ways to drive more revenue to Collier businesses from visitors
• Weaknesses in the destination including limited nightlife,tourism friendly transportation,
limited direct air service to Ft. Myers
• Profile of International visitors and why they are important to the destination
• Profile of seasonal occupancy in paid lodging in our community
Meeting Outcomes:
• The destination has a few weaknesses that will hold us back from growing the group
meeting and leisure traveler visitor numbers
• There is a definite need to identify additional revenue sources to dedicate to destination
marketing
14
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July 28,2011 TDC Subcommittee Meeting
The agenda for the sixth meeting of the TDC subcommittee included:
• Review of the tourist tax allocations, proposed FY 12 marketing plan and related budgets
• Input from the industry to assist the CVB in marketing the destination in 2012
• Public Relations report on journalists to the area and resulting editorial coverage
The industry attendees offered the following suggestions:
• Lisa Boet with Naples Originals restaurant group will assist in getting contacts in the
French market for the CVB staff and the PR firm. Further suggestions included
production of or advertising in a destination"pocket guide" (e.g.: Lonely Planet or
similar)
• Naples Daily News will work with tourism staff to create a regular tourism column in the
print and on-line version of the paper
• Community newspapers such as Florida Weekly agreed to do the same
• Seminole Casino will create and produce a hot air balloon event, scheduled for April 13-
15, 2012 and work with area hotels to create packages to attract visitors to the area
• Work with City of Naples to reduce noise ordinance restrictions, ease restrictions on
private and public transportation providers to reduce traffic congestion,making the area
more pedestrian and visitor friendly
• Try to eliminate the ban on outdoor tiki huts
• Create or encourage a new business to run gondola rides on Venetian Bay
• Ways to overcome the air service deficiencies to our destination
• Collier County Lodging and Tourism Alliance for review and recommendation
(Unanimous approval)
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Meeting Outcomes:
The CVB staff was directed to add the suggestions from the subcommittee meeting attendees and
take the revised destination marketing plan to the following for review and recommendation:
• Collier County Lodging and Tourism Alliance for review and recommendation
(Unanimous approval)
• Collier tourism industry at the bi-monthly roundtable meeting (Unanimous approval)
• The Tourist Development Council (TDC)meeting on September 26 (9-0 approval)
• The County Commission(BCC) meeting on October 11 (5-0 approval)
16
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October 18,2011 TDC Subcommittee Meeting
This meeting was scheduled and later cancelled. This meeting has been rescheduled and will take
place on November 21, 2011.
The proposed agenda included the following:
• Subcommittee draft final report
• Canadian visitation report
• European visitation report
• Discussion on additional funding alternatives
o A Business Case for Tourism-Rick Medwedeff
o Coastal Zone Management report
The subcommittee members were provided with the following documents prior to the scheduled
meeting date. These items can be found in Appendix# 5:
• Rick Medwedeff study
17
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SUBCOMMITTEE FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Over the course of the subcommittee meetings, the members have identified several important
findings and opportunities:
1. In order to remain competitive, our Naples Marco Island, Everglades Convention
& Visitors Bureau (CVB) must find new sources of revenue to support a more
robust, year-round destination advertising and promotion effort, resulting in more
year-round visitation, spending and job opportunities in Collier County.
2. Our destination recorded an average annual occupancy of 63% in 2010. Through
August of 2011, that average occupancy is 69.6%. That equates to an average of
37% unsold accommodations inventory for 2010 and 30.4% to date in 2011. In
our high season of mid January through March, occupancies are near capacity.
But in the summer and fall, those occupancies drop to 50% or less. The
opportunity to fill a larger percentage of rooms each night, especially during the
slower months, would drive more revenue to businesses in our community and
sustain year-round employment opportunities.
3. A major drawback to future growth in visitation is our lack of nighttime
entertainment options. More group meetings, international visitors and domestic
travelers will be attracted to our community if we could feature nighttime
entertainment opportunities.
4. Our local public transportation system is not visitor friendly. Encouraging more
taxi and van service, especially in the later evening hours, will encourage more
visitors to our community.
5. There is a misconception that the tourism industry only supports low paying jobs.
A special study could document the true level of wages paid in our largest private
sector industry. That same study could document the significant total tax
contribution provided by the hospitality and tourism industry to Collier County.
6. Our area is lacking in direct air service into Ft. Myers International Airport and, at
present, we have no commercial service at the Naples Municipal Airport.
Attracting more air carriers to these facilities will bring many more year-round
group and leisure visitors to our area.
7. Local media coverage and support of the hospitality and tourism industry in
Collier County is lacking. As the area's largest private sector employer, more
coverage and support is warranted. The CVB's Community Relations program
should be enhanced to continually update our local and regional media and the
Collier tourism industry with positive news stories and feature story ideas.
18
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USE OF THE FINDINGS & OPPORTUNITIES
The above findings and opportunities were presented to a group of tourism industry leaders and
interested citizens at a TDC Subcommittee meeting in June. The attendees were later provided
copies of the FY 11 CVB Strategic Marketing Plan, and the proposed budget for FY 12 for all
tourist tax functions, and asked to prepare and present their comments and suggestions to the Sub
Committee in July.
Those participant comments were recorded and included with the subcommittee findings into an
initial draft of the FY 12 Strategic Plan for Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
The draft FY 12 Strategic Marketing Plan for marketing the destination was then presented to the
Collier County Lodging&Tourism Alliance on August 31 for review and comment.
The suggested changes from the Alliance were incorporated into the FY 12 Strategic Plan and
presented to the TDC on September 6. The TDC suggested minor enhancements, and
unanimously recommended approval of the plan to the BCC.
The BCC reviewed and unanimously approved the plan on October 11, with the aforementioned
destination weaknesses and opportunities incorporated into suggested objectives and strategies
for FY 12 and beyond.
19
Big Cypress National Park Service r"—A.
U.S. Department of the Interior
Big Cypress National Preserve r
Florida
Preserve Update— FY 2011 Synopsis
New Welcome Center Open for a Complete Year
This was the first complete fiscal year(FY)for the new Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center,or what we have
begun calling in-house the"Swamp Center".A comparison of visitation statistics for the Swamp Center and the
Oasis Visitor Center,commonly called"Oasis",is below along with information on overall recreational visits to the
Preserve.The NPS has anticipated that it will take a few years for the Swamp Center to become familiar to visitors
along the roadway,hence the discrepancy in visitation compared to Oasis,a long-standing facility within the
Preserve.
Besides being open for a complete year,the center has also seen the installation of the final exhibits for the facility
which showcase interactive elements and historic artifacts—including a Seminole cypress canoe and a swamp buggy
once used by our fire division.
Statistical Comparison 2011 2010
Total Recreational Visits, Preserve Wide 813,965 775,733
Oasis Visitor Center 95,648 102,843
Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center 38,765 17,652
(The WC opened in March of FY 10)
Off-Road Vehicle(ORV)Trails Designated
The NPS has made the significant move to implementing designated ORV trails throughout the entire Preserve.
Previously, in many areas of the Preserve,dispersed ORV use was allowed. The designation of recreational ORV
trails throughout the Preserve was outlined in a management plan in 2000.The NPS works closely with an ORV
Advisory Committee—made up of landowners,ORV users,environmentalists and members of academia—with the
goal of establishing a sustainable trail network that will protect surrounding resources while continuing to provide
access to remote areas. The Preserve's enabling legislation allows for managed use of ORVs. As a Preserve,
Congress legislated that the NPS also manage oil and gas exploration and extraction,traditional and customary use
by Miccosukee and Seminole people, hunting,and retention of private properties.
Details on designated trails can be found at-
http://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/designated-trail-implementation.htm
Addition GMP Record of Decision Signed
In 1988 Congress added approximately 147,000 acres(the Addition)to the existing 582,000 acres of Big Cypress
National Preserve.Now 729,000 acres lie within the legislative boundaries of the Preserve.After a long process,the
NPS completed a General Management Plan(GMP)for the Addition during FY 2011.This GMP also included a
wilderness study and an ORV management plan.The NPS has developed a balanced plan for managing this area of
the Preserve and in the process took into consideration the spectrum of recreational and management considerations
described by Congress within the enabling legislation for the area.The final outcome proposes a total of more than
47,000 acres of wilderness in the area. The GMP also allows for ORV access along a designated trail network of
approximately 130 miles in those areas not proposed for wilderness that had existing ORV trails.
Find the
GMP at-http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parklD=352&projectlD=1 l 164&documentlD=37623
Record of Decision,Biological Opinion and the Floodplains Statement of Finding-
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parklD=3 52&projectlD=11164&documentlD=38924
Big Cypress National Preserve FY 2011 Synopsis
Site Restoration
The Preserve continued a decade-ling project to restore a former automobile salvage yard to a functioning wetland.
The area, known as Patton's Pit,was the site of a gas station and salvage yard prior to creation of the Preserve.
When the property was acquired, it was not known at the time that the fill area contained remnant scrap from the
former salvage yard operation. Hazmat remediation was begun in the early 1990s,and what remains on site is inert
fill material and buried scrap metal. The site also has a borrow pit and is surrounded by wetlands. The objective of
the restoration project is to remove the solid waste material and return the fill to the borrow pit,creating littoral zones
along the vertical pit walls. The area where fill is removed is returned to natural grade,allowing the natural
hydrology and vegetation recruitment to restore the area to a functioning wetland. By the end of the fiscal year,the
wetlands restoration project was approximately 99%completed. Post inspections of the site indicate that the goals
and objectives are being met,and the site has for the most part regained its wetland character.
Big Cypress National Preserve FY 2011 Synopsis
Work Continues on Loop Road
It is anticipated that the Loop Road will remain closed through the end of February. Work will be continuing on
resurfacing the gravel portion of the road west of the Loop Road Education Center and South of the Gator Hook Trail
access point. The project has improved water flow beneath the road by increasing the number and size of culverts.
The roadway will also be raised minimizing the times when water overtops the road and impedes travel. The surface
of this portion of the road will remain gravel. Work on the paved eastern portion of the road maintained by the
Preserve is scheduled to begin in October of 2012, and may once again require that the road be closed. The overall
goal of the project is to increase water flow below the road, minimize road flooding occurrences and to maintain the
rustic remote feeling of the popular roadway.
During periods of road closure we encourage visitors to consider the Turner River/Wagonwheel/Birdon Roads as an
alternative scenic driving loop. Find information on the route at-
http://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PagelD=137044
Payments in Lieu of Taxes(PILT)
PILT are Federal payments to local governments that help offset losses in property taxes due to nontaxable Federal
lands within their boundaries.Many people in the United States are unaware that this payment takes place. In FY 11
counties within Florida received more than$4 million dollars in PILT for Federal lands within the state. The counties
in which the four South Florida National Park areas(Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades, Biscayne and Dry
Tortugas National Parks)exist received the following funding related to all Department of the Interior lands within
the County:
Collier $1,247,838
Miami-Dade 836,504
Monroe 1,099,616
For more information on the PILT program go to-http://www.doigov/pilt/index.html
Commercial Operations
We have completed the second cycle of implementation of the Commercial Services Plan for Big Cypress,as
outlined by an associated Environmental Assessment. The Preserve has issued 16 commercial use authorizations for
canoe,pole boat,and kayak rental,livery and tours;bicycle tours;hiking guide services;and buggy and van tour
services for Big Cypress. Staff has successfully offered two-day training classes for each permittee or guide. These
training opportunities include NPS and BICY overviews,basic interpretation methods,and information on natural
resource information specific to BICY. Fifty-four commercial operators were trained this year.
Activities provided by commercial operators can be found at—
http://www.nps.gov/bicy/parkmgmt/permitted-commercial-operators.htm
Join a Ranger in the Woods
Studies show that getting out and being active promotes a healthy community. We encourage people to enjoy the
resources their national parks have to offer.The Preserve offers a full range of ranger led activities to assist people
with getting into the woods,enjoying nature and learning more about their surroundings.For a list of activities within
the Preserve that will be offered from late November through mid April,visit-
http://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/ranger-led-activities.htm
Big Cypress National Preserve FY 2011 Synopsis
State Transfers Lands to NPS
In 2010, the State of Florida's Board of Trustees voted to transfer approximately 29,000 acres of state-owned lands
within Big Cypress National Preserve to the NPS.The transfer marked the culmination of a seven-year effort
between the NPS and the State of Florida, and delivered on Florida's decades-old promise to purchase and donate
lands to the NPS as part of the creation of Big Cypress National Preserve.
Congress established Big Cypress National Preserve in October 1974. Later that year,the State of Florida agreed to
donate and convey title to all state-owned lands within the preserve boundaries to the NPS. In 1989,the Big Cypress
National Preserve Addition Act increased the size of the preserve and provided for federal/state cost sharing for land
acquisition costs. The 29,000 acres transferred in 2010 comprised over 550 individual tracts.The State of Florida's
action,and the recent completion of the General Management Plan for the Addition of Lands within Big Cypress,
allows the NPS to begin implementing recreational activities such as hunting, fishing,ORV use, hiking and camping.
The NPS is continuing its work in partnership with the State of Florida: over 14,000 acres of Florida School Board
lands remain to be transferred.
Learn more about other NPS land resources accomplishments at-http://landsnet.nps.gov/LR_Report_Final.pdf
Business Plan Completed
In July 2011,the Preserve Business Plan was completed after several years of development. The Plan is used to
provide partners a clear picture of what the Preserve is,what our management structure is,what our goals are, how
we operate and how outside organizations may assist us in achieving our goals.
A copy of the plan is at-http://www.nps.gov/bicy/parkmgmt/index.htm
Fire—A Year in Review
It was a historic dry year. Prescribed burning was limited. The Fire and Aviation Division completed 5 prescribed
burns for a total of 7,912 acres. We had 44 wildfires that burned 50,801 acres. A Type 1 Incident Management
Team was ordered for the Jarhead Fire and the Southern Area's Type 2 Incident Management Team was ordered for
the Oil Pad Complex. Our Fire Division also provided assistance to the Florida Forest Service on three wildfires and
assisted Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park on one wildfire.The Preserve provided our helicopter for hurricane
response in North Carolina along with the helicopter module and saw team.
The Preserve has the largest fire management program within the National Park Service.On average 50,000—70,000
acres are treated by prescribed fires or naturally caused lightning fires.
Working Closely With Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
In FY 2011 the National Park Service(NPS)and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(FWC)
renewed their commitment to consult,collaborate and cooperate in regards to the Big Cypress National Preserve
(Preserve)and State Wildlife Management area.The commitment is outlined in a Cooperative Partnership
Agreement signed by Pedro Ramos, Preserve Superintendent and Nick Wiley, FWC Executive Director.
The agreement provides guidance on how the two agencies will work jointly to ensure the protection of natural and
cultural resources and provide for the enjoyment of those resources for this and future generations. Review the
agreement at-http://www.nps.gov/bicy/parkmgmt/loader.cfm?csModule=security/Qetfile&PaQelD=343527
Volunteering in the Backcountry
The NPS has started a new program for those who wish to assist in projects in our vast backcountry.The
backcountry volunteers work in pairs and making informal contacts with visitors,assisting with various monitoring
projects,and provide reports on maintenance issues along trails that may need to be addressed.Currently we have 20
volunteers in the group. We look forward to continuing the project and increasing the number of people assisting us
with the variety of backcountry management the NPS is responsible for.
Big Cypress National Preserve FY 2011 Synopsis