Backup Documents 10/27/2009 Item #10B
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Visitor (Tourist) Data
It has been questioned whether the County Museums attract tourists. We
can only speak from our experience and research which indicate that 96% of
the visitors to the Museum of the Everglades are from outside Collier
County. So, if the question is what department or agency should fund the
County Museums, we believe that based on our visitor (tourist) data, the
answer is the Tourist Development Council.
Collier County, and more specifically Everglades City, attracts tourists year
round. We have not seen a decrease in the number of tourists visiting our
Museum; we have actually seen an increase over the past three years.
In the last three months alone, we have greeted tourists visiting from 22
different countries outside of the United States, including Southeast Asia,
Australia, New Zealand, all the European countries, and South America and
Canada. Tourists have written comments such as "Very interesting,
enlightening, very informative, wonderful and awesome."
From the United States, we have had visitors from every one of the 50 states.
Within Florida, we have had tourists from 116 different cities outside of
Collier County.
In 2007, the Museum of the Everglades received 16,694 visitors; in 2008,
there were 17,731 and through June of this year we have had 10,483 visitors.
Based on this information, the Friends of the Museum estimate that 2010
attendance of 19,000 with 96% out of Collier County and an economic
impact of $1 million to Everglades City businesses and most likely double
that to Collier County since many of our visitors are staying over night in
Naples and Marco Island.
We believe that it is admirable that the TDC is awarding grants to non-
county museums. However, we believe that the County Museums are the
"children" of the county, not the step-children, and should warrant full
support and consideration of the tourist tax dollars.
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According to the 2004 National Travel Survey (Travel Industry Association of America), 81 % of
American adult travelers included an arts, heritage or historic activity in their trips of 50 miles or
more annually. Cultural travelers also tend to stay longer and spend more money than the
average tourist. (Source: New Jersey State League of Municipalities website:
www.nislom.org/featart )
More recent studies conducted by the nation's leading arts service organization Americans for
the Arts, based in Washington, DC, and The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade's economic
development agency in partnership with the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
provide compelling new evidence that nonprofit arts and culture are a significant industry
in Miami-Dade County (see attached brochure)
Do Museums in counties outside of Collier County receive support from their local Tourist
Development Councils? Our research shows that they do: some counties support museum and
cultural arts programs and events while others provide salaries for employees, invest in facilities,
and operate and maintain museums.
Indian River Countv
"The Cultural County ofIRC (Indian River County) ... currently 18% of the TDC
funding was spent on employee expenses..."
Source: Minutes of the TDC meeting dated 5/17/06
Lee County
"The new exterior museum signage (for the Soulhwest Florida Museum of History in FI.
Myers) has been made possible with funding supported by the City ofFt. Myers and the Lee
County TDC." Dated 7/17/09
Source: website www.f1oridaattractions.org
Polk County
"Polk Museum of Art receives the most funding from TDC and one other
.. "
orgarnzatlon.. ,
Source: Published minutes of ALIGN, Friday, April 17 , 2009, Wayne Densch
Performing Arts Center
Monroe County
TDC Funding Procedures
Procedure # 1. "TDC funding is provided through County budget line items for
permissible capital projects and maintenance of public beach park and museum facilities..."
Source: Monroe County TDC Operations Manual
Sumter County
Tourist Development Council Use of Revenues
"Florida laws outlines the proper use ofthese tax funds. The County Commission has
decided that its funds will be allocated as follows:
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Capital Projects (60%) - Funding can be used to acquire, construct, extend, enlarge,
remodel, repair, improve, maintain, operate or promote convention centers, sports stadiums,
coliseums, auditoriums, or museums that are publicly owned....
Marketing - Sumter County Events (10%) ...
Marketing - Sumter County Tourism (10%)...
Events Funds - New Event Building (seed money) (10%)...
Existing Event Development (10%)
Source: Sumter County 2009 TDC Guidelines
St. Johns County
"Bed tax" is divided as follows
40% advertising/promotion
30% cultural development
30% leisure and recreational development
TDC Programs: ... Category 2. Cultural Development
"Each year, approximately 40 cultural heritage and cultural arts programs including
historic reenactments, museum programs and perfonning and visual arts programs are
presented throughout the County with the financial assistance ofthe TDC."
Source: website www.co.st-iohns.f1.us/TDC/Programs
Miami-Dade County
"The County is investing $1 Billion in Arts Facilities"
"More than 12 million people attend cuhural events each year.. . including 3.2 million
cultural tourists drawn to Miami-Dade County"
"The arts in Miami-Dade County generate an impressive $922 million in local economic
impact."
"Investing in the Arts = Strengthening our Economy"
Source: "The Impact of the Arts in Miami-Dade County" Brochure (attached)
From the Miami Herald Sept. 18. 200Q:
The cultural arts, which faced $11 million in cuts, had the majority of its money by early
morning. To allow for Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, the Historical Museum of
Southern Florida, Miami Art Museum, Miami Museum of Science and
Planetarium, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, and the Zoological Society of Florida to get
the same funding as last year, the county is shifting convention development taxes meant
for the South Dade Performing Arts Center operating budget to those facilities.