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Board signals support for sports-tourism strategy, highlights hire to lead push
Summary
At a Sept. 11 workshop commissioners discussed pursuing sports tourism to augment bed-tax revenue, welcomed the county’s new sports-tourism staffer and asked staff to develop a stepwise strategy and market analysis.
Santa Rosa County commissioners on Sept. 11 signaled support for developing sports tourism as a complement to beach-based visitation and noted the recent hiring of a sports-tourism specialist to help the county pursue tournaments and facility planning.
Jared and county staff introduced Jeff Schmidt (hired to assist parks and sports tourism); commissioners and staff described Schmidt as having existing relationships in competitive sports circles that can be used to recruit events and trainers. Commissioners said sports tourism can increase overnight stays in low-demand months and seed demand that later attracts additional overnight lodging.
Discussion highlights: Commissioners noted immediate examples where tournaments draw crowds but the county does not always capture lodging revenue because participants stay in neighboring counties. Speakers identified potential sports venues and axes of development, including indoor multipurpose courts (for volleyball, basketball and pickleball), aquatic/competition pools and regional baseball/softball complexes. Staff recommended a targeted, phased approach — first assessing market gaps and regional competition, then building facilities that deliver a differentiated offering rather than replicating nearby amenities.
Why it matters: Commissioners said sports tourism can increase bed-tax revenue and broader economic spillovers to restaurants, retail and hotels. They emphasized that facilities and infrastructure (parking, hotels, transit access) must follow market demand so that tournament visitors stay in-county.
Next steps: Staff will task the new sports-tourism specialist with market and facility analyses, and return with recommendations on priority sports, facility scale and potential public-private partnerships. Commissioners emphasized building “one block at a time” rather than pursuing all facility types at once.
Ending: No funding commitment or formal vote was taken at the workshop; commissioners indicated broad support to develop a sports-tourism strategy and directed staff to return with a focused plan.
