By Staff Report
Local officials and tourism stakeholders are sounding the alarm following the Florida House’s passage of HB 1221 and HB 7033, two bills that include provisions to eliminate Tourist Development Councils (TDCs) and restructure how Tourist Development Tax (TDT) dollars are
allocated across the state.
Under the proposed legislation, 75% of TDT funds would be redirected as a property tax refund,
while the remaining 25% could be used at the discretion of the county for any purpose—including tourism promotion. For Washington County, property tax collections for 2024 totaled $9,620,164 and TDT collections totaled $113,665. If Washington County spread this refund to all parcels, it would represent a refund of just $2.25. For only homesteaded properties, a refund of $15.75 would be credited to residents. But the economic impact loss for residents would be much greater.
“While larger counties could potentially survive this legislation,” said Heather Lopez, Director of the Washington County Tourist Development Council. “Our rural community will not. We will lose our voice in the marketplace, which has the potential to affect our local tax base, our local jobs, and overall, our small business economy.”
Local tourism leaders warn that dismantling the TDC structure will:
- Weaken tourism promotion efforts, making rural areas less competitive.
- Threaten local jobs in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
- Reduce local tax revenue from sales and gas taxes.
- Jeopardize small businesses that rely on visitor spending to stay afloat.
“Tourism isn’t just about vacations—it funds essential services and supports real jobs,” Lopez added. “Our restaurants, lodging providers, shops, and attractions depend on TDT-backed marketing. Without it, they’re left to fend for themselves.
At the request of Florida hoteliers, the Florida Legislature passed a state law that would allow
counties to levy TDTs. The hotel and lodging industry volunteered to have these taxes levied on
themselves so there would be a dedicated revenue stream for local tourism promotion with the single purpose of maintaining and growing visitation levels to the area.
Florida’s tourism industry was responsible for welcoming a record-breaking 142.9 million visitors to Florida in 2024. According to Lopez, that visitation generated $127.7 billion in economic impact and supported 2.1 million jobs in 2023, making tourism an economic engine benefiting Florida families.
Hannah Collins