Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Beach Economics And Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Volusia County says beaches support $4.3 billion economy; urges public input to secure state cost-share
Summary
County officials presented an economic impact analysis showing beaches support $4.3 billion in annual GDP for Volusia County and stressed that a formal beach management plan is required to secure 50% state participation under DEP recovery grants.
Volusia County staff presented an economic impact analysis intended to underscore the county's reliance on its beaches and the financial rationale for a formal beach management plan. Jessica Fentress, Volusia County coastal director, cited a county analysis that found beach tourism contributes roughly $4.3 billion annually to the county's gross domestic product and supports 31,400 jobs.
"Beach tourism contributes $4,300,000,000 a year to our county's GDP," Jessica Fentress said. She also reported that the county receives about 61,000,000 day trips annually to its beaches, a level she said is roughly double combined Florida state park attendance, and that beach-oriented tourism generates about 31% of the county's sales tax revenue.
Fentress emphasized planning and funding implications. She said the county does not currently have a countywide beach management plan and that a formal plan is required to be eligible to partner with the state for 50% cost participation on implementation under the Florida Department of Environmental Protection recovery grants tied to the 2022 hurricanes.
County staff encouraged broad public input, noting a longer-format presentation and the feasibility materials would be posted online and a public survey will remain open through January; they asked residents and user groups to provide feedback to inform the plan. Fentress framed the planning horizon as multi-generational: "This is your 50 year plan. This is your 75 year plan."
