Orange County’s tourism industry is one of the region’s greatest economic engines. Millions of visitors arrive each year, filling hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues and transportation systems.
by Kevin Seraaj, J.D.,M.Div., Publisher
A portion of every hotel room and short-term rental stay is collected through the Tourist Development Tax, a public revenue stream intended to strengthen the visitor economy while benefiting the community that supports it. Because the TDT is meant to serve a public purpose, the revenue it generates is not private wealth alone. Every dollar should be judged not only by how well it attracts visitors, but also by what it returns to the people who live here.
As Orange County weighs competing proposals for future tourism-tax investments, county leaders have a clear responsibility: they must ensure that public tourism dollars produce measurable public benefits.
A successful tourism project should not be evaluated only by the size of its building, the prominence of its partners or the number of visitors it promises to attract. The real questions are simpler and more important. How many permanent jobs will it create? Will those jobs pay wages that allow Central Florida families to thrive? How much work will go to locally owned and minority-owned businesses? Will young people gain real career opportunities? Will surrounding neighborhoods benefit from investment, or will they only bear the burden of higher costs, traffic and displacement? Will the public share in the long-term gains, or will taxpayers be left covering the costs after the ribbon-cutting is over?
These questions matter because Central Florida’s tourism success has not been shared equally. The region draws visitors from around the world, yet many of the workers who keep the tourism economy running still struggle with housing costs, transportation barriers and limited upward mobility. Local reporting has noted that tourism’s economic gains have not fully reached frontline and service workers, underscoring a gap between industry growth and household stability. A tourism economy that depends on workers who cannot afford to live securely in the community they serve is not working as well as it should
That is why cultural tourism deserves serious consideration. Places such as Eatonville are more than historic landmarks. They are opportunities for economic development rooted in history, education and community identity. Black history, arts and culture are not just heritage projects; they are assets that can attract visitors, support small businesses and create jobs when backed by thoughtful investment.
But cultural projects should be held to the same standards as every other proposal. Good intentions are not enough. Every applicant, whether a sports organization, entertainment venue, cultural institution or community initiative, should present a clear plan with measurable goals and accountability.
Orange County should require every recipient of tourism-tax funding to publicly report the number and quality of jobs created, local and minority-business participation, private investment generated, economic impact achieved, community benefits delivered and progress toward promised goals. Orange County’s TDT is already used for tourism-related expenditures including the convention center, venues, arts and tourism promotion, so public reporting should match the public scope of the funding.
Public money deserves public accountability.
The goal of tourism investment should not be to pick winners and losers based on political influence or institutional size. It should be to strengthen the entire community. Eatonville’s median household income is $35,509, according to uscostofliving.com, which shows why cultural tourism investments should be judged not only by preservation value but also by whether they create real opportunity .
Orange County has an opportunity to show that tourism success can mean more than record visitor numbers. It can mean stronger neighborhoods, expanded opportunity, preserved history and a better quality of life for the people who make this economy possible.
Tourism built Central Florida’s global reputation. Now the question is whether tourism revenue will help build a stronger Central Florida for everyone.
- Kevin Seraaj
- Kevin Seraaj
- Kevin Seraaj
- Kevin Seraaj
