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Palm Beach County unveils tourism master plan with 50 recommendations and 10 'big ideas'
Summary
The Tourist Development Council and CSL presented a two‑year tourism master plan that outlines 50 recommendations across nine categories and 10 prioritized transformational "big ideas," ranging from a major sports complex to an immersive flagship attraction; CSL and staff recommended feasibility studies for the top ideas and said detailed reports will return in June.
Emmanuel Perry, executive director of the Tourist Development Council, presented a tourism master plan developed by Conventions, Sports and Leisure International that he said is designed to guide Palm Beach County’s long‑term growth, sustainability and competitiveness in the visitor economy.
The plan, Richard Cutting Miller of CSL said, is the product of two years of work that included 96 initial concepts whittled to 50 recommendations and 10 ‘‘big ideas’’ after stakeholder workshops and public engagement. CSL said it engaged more than 1,700 residents and more than 96 community stakeholders, produced extensive research and a 525‑page deliverable with detailed recommendations, initial capital and operational estimates and suggested KPIs.
CSL laid out nine core recommendation categories — branding and marketing; tourism sustainability; community‑first initiatives; tourism infrastructure; data and technology; workforce and education; planning and zoning; strategic governance; and product and experience development — with practical short‑ and medium‑term actions and longer‑term transformational concepts. ‘‘We physically visited, assessed venues and spoke with owners and operators so we had boots on the ground to understand opportunities and issues,’’ Richard Cutting Miller said.
Among the top five big ideas CSL recommended for immediate feasibility study are a state‑of‑the‑art indoor multipurpose sports complex (CSL cited concepts such as up to 15 multipurpose fields and 11 indoor basketball courts), expansion of the convention center with a second hotel, pursuing larger regional or international events in partnership with Miami‑Dade and Broward, a flagship immersive experience (examples cited: large immersive venues such as the Sphere or Meow Wolf), and a high‑profile venue in the Glades region.
Commissioners asked detailed questions about locations, funding and timing. Several framed the proposal as an opportunity to leverage private investment through public‑private partnerships, while others urged caution on scale, traffic impacts and equity of benefits to residents. Commissioner Sachs said the county needs cultural centers and mixed‑use development so visitors leave their hotels and spend locally. Vice Mayor Woodward emphasized thorough due diligence for any public‑private deal and warned against rushing projects.
CSL and county staff said many of the recommendations are designed to direct tourist development tax dollars under Florida Statute 125.0104, which authorizes counties to use those revenues for tourism promotion and visitor‑related infrastructure. The firm recommended individual feasibility studies to test market demand, funding strategies, site options and operational considerations; CSL estimated a rigorous feasibility study in the order of $100,000 and about 3–6 months for a full analysis.
The board approved the set of 50 draft recommendations presented in the packet by a separate 6–0 vote and directed staff to return with additional feasibility information. CSL and county staff said they will return in June with more detailed feasibility results for the items commissioners asked to prioritize.
