Consultants propose $1M community-engagement program and expanded digital outreach to shore up resident support for tourism

Consultants recommended the county invest in a structured, multi-year community-engagement program to strengthen resident understanding of the bed tax (tourist development tax), improve transparency, and institutionalize an annual tourism-impact report and public dashboard.

The proposal, presented by Scott Beck, estimated about $1,000,000 of program expenses over three years to initiate and institutionalize the work. Key components in year one include a countywide resident-sentiment survey, a public-facing annual tourism-impact report and dashboard, and a community ‘roadshow’ to engage neighborhoods. Year two would deepen engagement and introduce tourism-ambassador and youth leadership elements; year three would focus on institutionalizing the program and launching a community investment tracker.

Beck said the intent is not to duplicate visitor marketing but to invest in resident-facing communication that links tourism revenue to quality-of-life investments, such as lifeguards, infrastructure and beach access work. Commissioners and industry stakeholders debated whether the county already conducts similar research and whether staff capacity could accommodate additional work without an outside contractor. The consultants recommended contracting with a local community-engagement firm for a short, defined period to build systems that staff could maintain.

Digital marketing: The consultants also recommended a more sophisticated email-marketing program and segmented campaigns to encourage repeat visitation and stabilize demand in shoulder seasons, identifying a 3‑year tactical budget for off-season activation of $7M–$10M across product diversification and event pilots.

Next steps: Board members asked staff to identify what elements could be absorbed internally versus those requiring contracted support; no appropriation was made at the meeting.