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{"id":51914,"date":"2019-05-23T17:01:43","date_gmt":"2019-05-23T21:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/?p=51914"},"modified":"2019-05-23T17:02:24","modified_gmt":"2019-05-23T21:02:24","slug":"visit-florida-lays-off-one-third-of-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/05\/23\/visit-florida-lays-off-one-third-of-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"Visit Florida Lays Off One Third of Employees"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Nearly a third of the state\u2019s primary tourism marketing agency\u2019s staff, were given pink slips on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>The employees were collateral damage in a political battle over the future of the agency.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-51914 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/05\/23\/visit-florida-lays-off-one-third-of-employees\/visit-florida-cuts00000002\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000002-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000002-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000002-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000002.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/05\/23\/visit-florida-lays-off-one-third-of-employees\/visit-florida-cuts00000003\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000003-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000003-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000003-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000003.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/05\/23\/visit-florida-lays-off-one-third-of-employees\/visit-florida-cuts00000001\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000001-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000001-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000001-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000001.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Employees at Visit Florida\u2019s Tallahassee headquarters were told in an email not to comes to work on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, 44 employees were told to arrive for a meeting to discuss their futures and to bring any Visit Florida property with them.<\/p>\n<p>The layoffs were of no fault of the employees themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, it\u2019s the result of a $26 million cut to Visit Florida\u2019s funding.<\/p>\n<p>It was a compromise between the House, which wanted to kill the agency altogether, and the Senate, which wanted to fully fund Visit Florida at $76 million.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith all the back and fourth in the Legislative Session, people lives are being affected,\u201d said marketing strategist Trimmel Gomes.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-51914 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/05\/23\/visit-florida-lays-off-one-third-of-employees\/visit-florida-cuts00000004\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000004-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000004-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000004-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000004.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/05\/23\/visit-florida-lays-off-one-third-of-employees\/visit-florida-cuts00000007\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000007-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000007-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000007-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000007.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/05\/23\/visit-florida-lays-off-one-third-of-employees\/visit-florida-cuts00000005\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000005-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000005-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000005-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000005.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Governor Ron DeSantis helped fight for the compromise, but said he\u2019s open to reforming the agency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn’t think letting it run aground now would have been the right thing for the state. It’s going to be something we’re going to have to look at,\u201d said Governor Ron DeSantis in May.<\/p>\n<p>Visit Florida CEO Dana Young said in a statement, \u201cOur ultimate responsibility is to manage the tax dollars invested in our organization as effectively as possible while still working every day to promote and support Florida\u2019s tourism industry and the revenue that it generates. While this reduced budget will require significant changes in our marketing approach, we are confident that we can continue to deliver a great value for Floridians with the funding provided.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Visit Florida had been funded at about $75 million for the past five years.<\/p>\n<p>Before that it received $50 million a year.<\/p>\n<p>The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association told us during last year\u2019s budget battle, tourism numbers had skyrocketed when funding funding for the agency increased.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSoon to be 120 million visitors. That is directly correlated back to the amount of money we’re spending on advertising,\u201d said Carol Dover with Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association in February of 2018.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-51914 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/05\/23\/visit-florida-lays-off-one-third-of-employees\/visit-florida-cuts00000008\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000008-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000008-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000008-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000008.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/05\/23\/visit-florida-lays-off-one-third-of-employees\/visit-florida-cuts00000009\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000009-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000009-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000009-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts00000009.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/05\/23\/visit-florida-lays-off-one-third-of-employees\/visit-florida-cuts\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/visit-florida-cuts.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>However, Gomes said the cuts could result in more efficient spending by the agency, which has traditionally spent big dollars on television ad buys.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow they’ll be streamlining and looking at digital ads to market to the rest of the world,\u201d said Gomes<\/p>\n<p>The employees that are left will return to work Friday, but their jobs aren\u2019t necessarily safe.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s likely another funding battle will play out in the 2020 legislative session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nearly a third of the state\u2019s primary tourism marketing agency\u2019s staff, were given pink slips on Thursday. The employees were collateral damage in a political battle over the future of the agency. Employees at Visit Florida\u2019s Tallahassee headquarters were told in an email not to comes to work on Thursday. Instead, 44 employees were told […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51914"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/132"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51914"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51914\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51935,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51914\/revisions\/51935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}