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March tourist tax broke all records
By ALEX LEARY, Times Staff Writer To understand how well tourists treated Citrus County in March, take a look at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. More than 44,400 people dropped by that month -- the most ever in the history of the attraction. "It was very, very good," said park spokeswoman Susan Dougherty. The scores of visitors helped pack area hotels and motels and contributed to another record as the county collected the most tourist tax for a single month -- $42,457. The tax is a 2 percent charge assessed against people who stay at motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks and other short-term lodging places. "It's very encouraging," said Mary Craven, the county's tourism director. "Maybe more people are becoming aware of us." Craven is not exactly sure why the numbers, which were released this month, are up. But she has a few ideas. She thinks people got tired of staying close to home after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, an explanation echoed by several hotel managers. "The whole year has been pretty good," said Frances Roberts, manager of the Best Western in Crystal River. Craven also attributes the upswing to a number of events in Citrus, including the Strawberry Festival in Floral City. "A lot of it is due to the terrific marketing program," Craven added. The Tourist Development Council spends the money to attract more visitors. In fiscal year 2000-01, the county collected $292,674; the figure is projected to jump this year to $305,000. A major boost could come when recreational scalloping resumes in July. Scalloping was banned in gulf waters in 1995 after the population plunged to critical numbers. But the shellfish are back in force and, beginning July 1, are fair game from Aripeka in Pasco County north to the Mexico Beach Canal, near Gulf County in the Panhandle. The season runs through Sept. 10. More information on the scallop season will be available at a workshop on Monday at the Plantation Inn in Crystal River. Various experts will be there to answer questions. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. The TDC will hold a workshop Wednesday to discuss how it will spend its approximately $130,000 advertising and promotion budget. There is talk about disbanding the program that brings travel writers to the area. The county pays a Tallahassee public relations firm to arrange trips for the media in the hope of generating favorable coverage about the area. Airlines, as well as local restaurants, hotels and attractions, donate goods and services but the county's bill is not insignificant. Last year, Craven said, the county paid Geiger & Associates $72,000 to arrange for about 30 writers to visit.
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