Visit Pensacola Governance and Funding
Visit Pensacola is a 501©(6) not-for-profit organization in Escambia County that supports the community vision of tourism by serving as the central body responsible for building tourism as an economic engine for our community through leadership, connection, collaboration and communication.
Visit Pensacola is governed by an 11-person board of directors. The board is comprised of the following members: four seats for visitor experiences – arts, culture, or heritage, dining or entertainment, retail, attractions or events, and sports or recreation; Four seats for lodging by geography: Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach, West Pensacola and Central Pensacola; and three at-large seats. The board meets on a monthly basis to discuss items related to tourism and our efforts to continue yearly growth of this economic engine.
Visit Pensacola is funded by the Tourism Development Tax (TDT), grants and private funds raised through partnerships and sponsorships. TDT is commonly referred to as a “bed tax”. A bed tax is a tax on the total payment for the rental or lease of accommodations such as hotels, homes, condos and campgrounds that are rented for a period of six months or less. The bed tax was created with the intention to market destinations. Subsequently, the tourism industry chose to tax itself to fund marketing efforts. TDT collections are public dollars that are paid by anyone that stays in paid lodging as mentioned above.
The Tourist Development Tax is allocated by the Tourism Development Council (TDC). TDC is comprised of nine members appointed by the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners. Three of the members are collectors of the tourist development tax; three members represent a tourist-related business; and three members are elected officials. The TDC meets on a quarterly basis to discuss tourism development matters affecting Escambia County.
