Martin County tourism director: bed tax pays $900,000 a year for beach projects and funds accessibility, events and local facilities

Nerissa Okier, Martin County tourism director, said the county’s tourism office is a department within county government funded separately from general revenues and financed by a bed tax paid by overnight visitors. "We're funded off of bed tax," Okier said, adding the office uses those dollars for marketing and projects that benefit residents and visitors alike.

Okier told hosts Mac and Courtney that the office directs $500,000 each year to the county coastal program for beach and inlet dredging and another $400,000 to parks for beach projects and maintenance — "so that's $900,000 every year" for beach-related work. She said an additional 12% of tourism revenue is reserved for sports marketing and facility enhancements such as scoreboards, speakers and high-speed internet at local ballparks.

The tourism director said the office supports events and reimburses promoters to attract swim meets, marathons and tournaments that bring out-of-state visitors. "We have a reimbursement program that goes towards getting those events here," Okier said, noting those events create lodging and restaurant demand that benefits many local businesses.

Okier also described the office’s work on conservation and resident-focused programming, including the Explore Natural Martin initiative developed with Leave No Trace principles that reserves spots for residents and visitors in sensitive areas. She said the tourism office helped fund classroom expansion at the U.S. Sailing Center and gave grants to Florida Oceanographic and the Elliott museum.

On economic impact, Okier said tourism supports more than 8,000 jobs in Martin County and brings nearly $600 million in annual visitor spending; she added that about $67 million in state and local taxes are generated by visitor activity. She clarified that some reported figures rely on Visit Florida metrics that measure out-of-state visitation specifically.

Okier highlighted several accessibility and inclusion efforts. The county partnered with Wheel the World to inventory hotels, restaurants and preserves for detailed accessibility information, enabling visitors who use wheelchairs or scooters to determine whether a site fits their needs. "We're autism certified," she said, and noted partnerships with the children's museum and Florida Oceanographic on sensory-friendly hours and quiet rooms. Okier also described a relationship with the ARYA app to provide guided visual assistance for users with visual impairments when searching Martin County attractions.

The tourism office also runs eco-tourism outreach such as a Bark Ranger program modeled on a national parks initiative to encourage responsible pet behavior in conservation areas; participants receive bandanas and local dog tags. The office promotes family engagement through the Treasure Coast Kids Quest and operates a free event-submission system at discovermartin.com. Okier noted the office sends newsletters to more than 40,000 recipients and maintains ProtectOurParadise.com, an advocacy site documenting sustainability training and the office’s sustainability pledge.

Okier said the office’s creative campaigns have won multiple awards — "36 last year," she said — including Visit Florida honors. She described partnerships on campaigns (for example, a Go Fish cards effort developed with Florida Fish and Wildlife) and said the office continues to roll out training and marketing programs for tourism-facing businesses.

The podcast hosts closed by noting several county items of public interest mentioned during the episode: an upcoming board meeting on March 10, volunteer openings on the Library Board of Trustees and Neighborhood Advisory Committees, lifeguard recruitment for Sailfish Splash ahead of spring break, and the county’s newest public art installation at Palm City Place, which Okier said is Martin County’s 25th public art piece.

Next steps: the tourism office directs residents and businesses to discovermartin.com and ProtectOurParadise.com for event submissions, volunteer information and resources; the hosts said they will add links and application details to the episode show notes.