Visit Florida – the state’s tourism marketing arm – recently distributed nearly $860,000 to tourist development councils in several Panhandle communities ravaged by Hurricane Michael, among them Jackson County.
The Jackson County Tourist Development Council nabbed a $60,000 slice of the $860,000 pie. Visit Florida officials say they hope the cash infusion will help the recipient communities recover more quickly, and, thus, begin attracting tourists back to the region.
While Jackson County’s award is substantially less than its larger neighbors’, local tourist development officials say the $60,000 will go a long way in restoring Jackson County’s tourist infrastructure.
Two tourism promotion groups in Panama City – the Panama City Community Development Council, Inc., and Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau – received $250,000 from the recent Visit Florida award. Gulf County also got a quarter of a million dollars, while the Washington County Tourist Development Council nabbed $48,000.
