2 min read December 2023 — In an interview with Invest:, Emanuel Perry, executive director of the Tourist Development Council of Palm Beach County, highlighted significant achievements over the past year. Perry emphasized the pivotal role of tourism as an economic driver, second only to agriculture, with last year’s 9.2 million visitors generating a $10 billion economic impact and over 95,000 jobs.
What have been some highlights for you and your team over the last year?
Most recently within the last three weeks we released an RFP for a second headquarter hotel as part of the convention center expansion. We are aiming to add 600 rooms and hope we can target larger meetings so that members are not displaced and scattered at different locations. We also released a tourism master plan that will guide our industry for the next 20 years. We want to ask residents how they view themselves through resident surveys so they can contribute to how they want the area to grow. We will also incorporate destination development in order to attract more visitors and create an economic impact.
What is tourism’s role as an economic driver for the county?
Tourism is the second-largest industry behind agriculture. Last year, we welcomed 9.2 million visitors to the area and created an economic impact of $10 billion of both indirect and direct spending. That allows us to support more than 95,000 jobs. Not only is the industry critical to the economy, but we also take pride in it. We are known as America’s first resort destination.
How has the growth of the population been impacting the work you do?
Population growth has positively and negatively impacted us. Positively, it has supported more jobs and created economic impact for the county. On the negative side, it is driving up the cost of living, which creates a negative impact on local residents. That is why in the strategic plan we are developing workforce housing solutions. Business is growing hand in hand with the tourism sector because when executives visit, they fall in love with the area and the assets here. We are a major destination for baseball, golf and we also have a world class polo equestrian center. We take pride in our assets and want to show them off when possible.
What attractions have been the most popular?
Our PGA Tour would certainly be the most popular because it features marquee golfers and highlights the area when it is broadcast. We market it to the community as the ultimate week of sports because there are certain days when visitors can access peak professionals in golf tennis and equestrian polo all in one day. But I’d say it is the quality of life in Palm Beach that really separates us from the pack. The residents that take pride in living here and the visitors are flocking here in droves. We still have room for opportunity but are very proud of what we have already.
Is there any legislation or regulation you are monitoring?
We are always monitoring state statute 125 because that really dictates how we can spend our dollars. The statute covers the powers and duties of county commissioners and goes into detail about what the county needs to take responsibility for. This ranges from sign ordinances to tax exemptions to affordable housing and purchase of land. As an advisory body to the Board of County Commissioners, any changes to the statute obviously impact on us and our budget.
In which direction do you see the council and tourism sector going in the near future?
I see the tourism sector continuing to thrive. The master plan is going to be key and is going to emphasize local resident involvement and include diversity, equity and inclusivity initiatives. We have 1.6 million residents and want to be able to tell everyone’s stories. We have some exciting projects in the pipeline. Right now, we are using artificial intelligence to create lists of attractions and itineraries for visitors that incorporate hotels, eateries and historical districts. Each destination in South Florida is looking at what the other is doing so there is a continued competition that will maintain growth and fuel constant improvement.
For more information, visit:
https://discover.pbcgov.org/touristdevelopment/Pages/default.aspx
