Tourist Development Council - September, 2026

The Citrus County Tourist Development Council meeting on September 2, 2026, focused heavily on tourism-related procurement and budget discussions. Key agenda items included approval of a $65,000 special projects funding request to engage Downs and St. Germaine for conducting detailed visitor surveys and quarterly economic impact reports, with an emphasis on hiring local personnel for survey administration. The council also approved a $6,845 sponsorship for Florida H2 Outdoors to promote water-based tourism activities. Additionally, the council discussed a $35,000 investment to host the Kayak Bass Fishing event in January 2027, expected to be the county's largest sporting event, aimed at boosting local tourism and economic impact. A motion was passed to explore restructuring the Citrus County Visitors and Convention Bureau into a more flexible, fast-moving 501(c)(6) organization to improve operational efficiency, with findings to be reported back to the council and Board of County Commissioners. Other procurement-related topics included marketing initiatives, tourism passport programs, and potential cost-benefit analyses for digital meeting materials. The meeting concluded with plans for continued strategic tourism development and community engagement.