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Tourist Development Council reports record bed-tax collections and marketing push as Jackson County readies winter season
Summary
Kelsey Jackson, TDC director, told commissioners the county is on track to exceed its fiscal-year bed-tax forecast — approaching $900,000 — and outlined marketing campaigns, convention center bookings and new restaurants that the department says should boost visitor spending.
Kelsey Jackson, director of the Jackson County Tourist Development Council, told commissioners on Oct. 14 that bed-tax collections have already met the fiscal-year estimate with two months of collections still outstanding and that the department expects to finish the year near or above $900,000.
Jackson said the convention center hosted several events this quarter, including a banquet mystery-dinner, a wedding expo and the Republican Party Reagan Day dinner; December is heavily booked. The county has awarded a construction contract to Monolith Construction to stabilize and complete the shell of the Jackson County Museum, and Great Oaks interior renovations are complete with minor items outstanding.
The TDC director highlighted a recent marketing push using reels and videos produced in the eastern part of the county to support winter hunting and fishing campaigns and noted a 96% increase in social media interactions attributed to targeted advertising. Jackson also noted a “foodie” campaign spotlighting 12 restaurants across multiple towns and named four restaurants that opened in the county this quarter (Watermelon Alley, Cajun Corner, Cozy Cup Cafe and Carpenter’s Table).
She said a Visit Florida economic-impact report shows a 15% increase in visitor spending for Jackson County year-over-year, which she said is about 10 percentage points higher than the regional average.
The TDC report was presented for information; commissioners congratulated staff on the progress and asked for continued outreach to smaller communities in the county.
Why it matters: Increased bed-tax collections and promotional work can support the county’s tourism-related economic development and convention-center viability; marketing and event funding decisions influence local businesses and festivals.
