Tourism Economic Impacts

Economic Growth in Alachua County

In addition to being Florida’s No. 1 industry, tourism is a pillar of economic growth in Alachua County. Visit Gainesville, Alachua County deploys a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to increasing tourism through the investment of tourist development tax into county-wide capital infrastructure projects; marketing and advertising strategies deployed to targeted regional and national audiences; grant programs and funding support to arts, nature and culture organizations, attractions and event producers; outreach and sales to conference and meeting planners; support of participatory sporting activities; visitor services, outreach, and more, with the goal of increasing tourism, visitor spending, economic development, destination enhancement, and the elevated visibility of Alachua County.

Impacts by Visitors Staying in Paid Accommodations (2023)

• 1,438,000 visitors stayed overnight in paid accommodations
• Visitors staying in paid overnight accommodations generated $738,627,200 in economic impact to Alachua County
• Direct visitor spending was $474,450,800 on lodging, entertainment, dining, shopping, groceries and transportation
• Tourism supports 6,300 local jobs
• Creates $236,833,700 in wages and salaries for local jobs
• Generates $64 million in state and local tax revenues – saving Alachua County households $606 in taxes

The total economic impact of tourism in Alachua County is a function of direct spending by visitors to Alachua County that stayed in paid overnight accommodations on their trip, as well as indirect and induced impacts of their spending, such as increased business and household spending generated by tourism dollars. Research provided by Downs & St. Germain.

Bed Tax Collections and Impact

The Tourist Development Tax (TDT), or bed tax, strengthens our local economy by supporting Alachua County’s tourism industry. Lodging providers who rent accommodations for short-term rental (six months or less) are required to collect and remit Tourist Development Tax, which is 5% of total taxable rental receipts.

Tourist Development Tax revenue is diversified across multiple investments, including:

PARTNERSHIPS

Dozens of local organizers and event producers are supported through special event sponsorships annually. Events and festivals are crucial to the implementation of tourism marketing in Alachua County. Visit Gainesville, Alachua County works with over 50 event producers annually.

Signature Alachua County events include FEST, an international punk rock festival now in its 22nd year, Tom Petty Weekend at Heartwood Soundstage, the City of Gainesville Downtown Festival and Art Show, Hoggetowne Medieval Faire, and more. Festivals attract visitors, and the economic impact visitors bring positively impacts local businesses in a myriad of ways, including admission fees, lodging and transportation for festival talent and producers, parking, food, beverage, merchandise sales, and more.

Alachua County contracts with the Gainesville Sports Commission for the attraction of sports tourism in the market. The Gainesville Sports Commission attends trade shows, bids on sanctioned sporting events, and works with sports facilities within the County to assist in the operations of participatory sporting events for all ages, and assists with hosting, creating and supporting over 45 events annually.

MARKETING AND ADVERTISING

The experienced team of communications professionals at Visit Gainesville, Alachua County leverage the tax with strategic and targeted marketing and advertising to potential visitors and meeting planners across multiple platforms including web, digital, print, radio, television, social media, and more. Professional memberships and associations include marketing partnerships with Visit Florida, Destinations Florida, Destinations International, the Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE), Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP), Meeting Planners International (MPI), and more.

CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners invests bed taxes paid by visitors into transformational infrastructure developments including a $30 million investment to create the Alachua County Sports and Event Center at Celebration Pointe; $7 million to build Champions Park in Newberry, a 16-field baseball complex; the purchase, renovation and operations of the Alachua County Agriculture and Equestrian Center in Newberry; investment into the Hal Brady Recreation Center complex in the City of Alachua; the Cade Museum in Gainesville, and more.

Visit Florida’s Flagler Awards are the tourism awards for the state of Florida. Visit Gainesville, Alachua County has been awarded two “Henry Awards” the state’s highest honor for tourism marketing initiatives.

Named for Henry Flagler, the Flagler Awards recognize outstanding tourism marketing in Florida and honors individuals and organizations that help maintain and improve Florida’s position as one of the world’s most popular travel destinations. A panel of 11 judges evaluated and scored nearly 200 entries submitted in 18 different categories. The highest scoring entry in each category receives the coveted Henry Award.

Visitors often ask, “what’s good to do around here?” during their stay. We never run out of exciting ways to answer that question. In fact, Alachua County leverages the bed tax to market and promote our destination by supporting “What’s Good” — our nature, culture, arts, and sports organizations. In turn, this creates exceptional venues, programs and recreational opportunities for visitors and residents alike.

What’s Good. Investing In Our Community

Alachua County is proud to be the wellspring of the University of Florida Gator Nation and home to so much more. Invest the time to go birding on more than 100 miles of trails, to paddle the Santa Fe River, to make a splash in the springs, to bike the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail, to take in a world-class show a local theater, to visit a park or museum, to go antiquing in Micanopy, or to experience the area’s rich musical heritage kept alive and thriving with live local music on dozens of stages.

With the restaurant scene gaining national attention and new pints on tap at local breweries, dozens of annual festivals and events, and the friendliest people in Florida, there is always more to explore right here at home.

Take the time to enjoy all that Alachua County has to offer, and you too can experience the positive benefits of travel, discover new favorite places, create enduring memories and find opportunities to share what’s good with our visitors.

Visitors and Convention Bureau Performance Measures

Additional statistics found on the Alachua County Performance Measures webpage.

Featured performance measures include:

• Number of advertising impressions across all media – Cumulative-Year-to-Date
• Dollars received through Tourist Tax collections – Cumulative Year-to-Date 
• Percent of Alachua County hotel room occupancy – Calendar Year-to-Date

For more information, please email info@visitgainesville.com or call 352-374-5260.

Figures are based on spending by visitors during 2023, including domestic out-of-state visitors, international visitors, and Florida residents including both day and overnight trips.
Research provided by Downs & St. Germain.