Has tourism rebounded in your county since the end of the pandemic? If so, Why? If not, Why? 

Morgan: Yes. We are exceeding 2019 numbers.

Meeks: Yes, tourism has both rebounded and grown notably. The FY2019 TDT collections for St. Johns County totaled just over $11.8 million ($2.95 million per penny of tax). The FY2022 TDT collections for St. Johns County totaled approximately $22.2 million ($4.44 million per penny of tax). St. Johns County did levy an additional one cent of bed tax in FY22, which is responsible for a portion of the increase in revenue noted above, but you can see by the per penny revenue breakdown that there has been notable growth outside of that increase in the levy.

Lukasik: Yes, Flagler County was very fortunate with record-breaking revenues and visitation. We believe that once travel restrictions were lifted, folks were wanting to travel either for leisure or because they were working remotely and were looking for less crowded cities. Our tourism product was the perfect fit due to uncrowded beaches and lots of open spaces for outdoor recreational activities. We have a strong vacation rental product, so families were renting out homes for an extended period of time while doing online school.

What are the tourism projections for your county for 2023 and 2024?   

Morgan: We are starting to see some slowing, likely due to the economy, but people are still traveling and will find a way to unplug from the busy pace of life.

Meeks: St. Johns County is projecting approximately $23 million in bed tax revenue in 2023 and is projecting approximately $24 million in bed tax revenue in 2024.

Lukasik: For fiscal year 2023, which is October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023, we are projecting to run flat with last year of collecting $4.4 million. However, we are currently trending with a 5.53% increase, but we still have to be mindful of the upcoming hurricane season, which always has an impact if we are subject to any damage. For 2024, we are anticipating the same numbers. We ended last year with a 21.33% increase over fiscal year 2021.

The hospitality industry continues to report hardships in hiring employees. Do you anticipate this becoming an issue locally when trying to provide a good travel experience for our visitors?

Morgan: If the past three years taught us anything, it’s that the hospitality and tourism industry is resilient and determined to deliver a great experience. Whether hotel general managers are taking their turn with housekeeping, the restaurant owner is helping in the kitchen or serving guests or the back of the house staff is just doing that little extra, the customer experience is still top of mind. We have occasionally asked customers to manage their expectations, but that may change daily depending on demand. Everyone has good days and bad days; we are all in it together.

Meeks: The local hospitality industry is experiencing challenges with filling vacant positions in St. Johns County, and this is due to a variety of reasons, including both positive factors, such as notable industry growth (with new overnight accommodations and new restaurants opening in the area), and negative factors, such as insufficient workforce housing as well as national and regional economic trends such as low unemployment rates. St. Johns County is actively working to address some of these underlying reasons, and we remain confident that the hospitality industry will continue to manage their available workforce effectively while we all work together to identify and implement solutions for the future.

Lukasik: It has been an ongoing challenge for the industry, and Flagler has not been immune to the shortage of workers. I think this sometimes can have an effect on service, but because this is a national issue and visitors are likely experiencing it within their own communities, folks may have some grace and understanding. Of course, there will still be customers that will not be as kind to the staff, but hopefully, the good ones outweigh the bad apples. Our hospitality workers are the heart and soul of the industry and have been crucial to the visitor experience.

Are Florida lawmakers adequately funding advertising to promote tourism to NE Florida?  

Morgan: Florida lawmakers are back to funding the statewide destination marketing effort appropriately. It is so important to continuously market our state and region to visitors. After all, that is why we don’t have a state income tax and can pass along significant tax savings to our local residents. 

Meeks: The draft FY24 budget for St. Johns County includes an allocation of more than $10.6 million for advertising and promoting tourism across the destination. The remaining TDT revenue is allocated to tourism development and support functions that include activities such as the development of new recreation facilities that will be able to function, at least in part, as tourism assets (such as ball fields for tournaments), the ongoing maintenance of recreation facilities that have a tourism function, beach and beach facility maintenance (e.g., boardwalk maintenance, beach restroom cleaning and beach renourishment), the maintenance of boat ramps, etc. Funding the development and maintenance of these assets as well as providing that overall support to the local tourism resources is extremely important to both the short-term and long-term success of tourism development and management both in St. Johns County and across the state. Available funding resources have to take care of the tourism engine as a whole, and as the Director of Tourism and Cultural Development for St. Johns County, I feel very positive about the way St. Johns County has and continues to manage those available resources for the support of sustainable tourism.

Lukasik: The industry was very pleased and appreciative of the $80 million budget that lawmakers appropriated for Visit Florida. The small and mid-size counties rely heavily on the co-op advertising and marketing promotions that are offered at a fraction of the cost that we would have to pay on our own. It is no secret that it was the tourism industry that allowed the state to rebound financially so quickly from the pandemic.

What are the biggest challenges facing future tourism in your county?   

Morgan: Protection of the Tourist Development Tax usage is critical to the success of Florida’s tourism industry. In addition, labor issues and affordable housing will be important opportunities for collaboration in each of our communities.

Meeks: The biggest challenge in the near future for tourism in St. Johns County is likely the overall slowing economy of the Country. As the economy slows, one of the first things people forgo is travel. To help minimize local impact from general trends such as this, St. Johns County prioritizes the development and support of a diverse tourism industry, including general leisure travel, group/business events, special events (weddings and festivals), sporting events and niche tourism.

Lukasik: What keeps me up at night are storms, rising sea levels and continuing to develop a diverse tourism product to include a variety of accommodations.