Amelia Island Visitors Make Half-Billion Dollar Economic Impact in 2014

Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau
MEDIA RELEASE

December 8, 2014 2:06 p.m.

image003The Amelia Island Tourist Development Council (TDC) is reporting double-digit increases and new record high numbers for guests visiting the destination in fiscal year 2014. From October 2013 through September 2014, Amelia Island welcomed nearly 570,000 visitors, a 12.4 percent increase over 2013. The resulting economic impact of $504,673,000 is a 19.5 percent increase from the previous year. Direct spending on lodging, dining, sightseeing and other tourist activities also increased to $383,577,600, a 19.5 percent increase.

Gil Langley
Gil Langley

“Thanks to a lot of hard work and many favorable conditions, it’s been another great year for tourism on Amelia Island,” said Gil Langley, Managing Director of the Amelia Island TDC. “This marks the fourth consecutive year of tourism growth for Amelia, which continues to develop as one of the top island destinations in North America.”

The TDC recently released results of its 2014 Visitor Profile conducted by Research Data Services, Inc. The report showed increases in occupancy (6.3 percent), Average Daily Rate (6 percent) and Revenue per Available Room (12.6 percent) over 2013.
According to the report, the majority of visitors to Amelia Island originate in the southeastern United States and Florida, with continued growth from the northeast and Midwestern states. Most notably, foreign visitation was up by 26.9 percent in 2014, with nearly 24,000 international overnight guests.

The 2014 Visitor Profile also shows an average length of stay at 4.4 nights, with approximately 2.8 people in each party. More than 55 percent of visitors were vacationing on Amelia Island for the first time and 98 percent of all visitors were satisfied with their experience at the destination.

According to Langley, the island’s lodging partners generated more than $112 million in taxable revenue last fiscal year. Generating more than 38 percent of the total sales tax collections in Nassau County, tourism is a critical component to the economic vitality of the destination.

One in four jobs in Nassau County are supported by the tourism industry, with the Omni Amelia Island Plantation and The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island being the two largest private sector employers in the county. Recent expansions and job opportunities at the two resorts have helped lower the county’s unemployment rate to 5 percent, which is lower than the state average of 6 percent, Langley added.

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tony crawford
tony crawford (@guest_25032)
9 years ago

MMMMMM- May lead some to reconsider their views on the tourist industry. Remember, with the tourist industry there are jobs created in hotels, bars, restaurants, shops, and real estate. These tourists spend money. Money means jobs, jobs mean less unemployment, less unemployment means less money going out and more money coming in, more money coming in means a better local economy. Kind of like something called “positive reinforcement.” You guys chose– are we a tourist town and what would it be like if they stopped coming? Tomorrow is election day, I hope every server, bartender, shop owner, hotel worker, fishing boat Captain and every one that works in the tourist industry thinks about who best will serve your needs and what Commission will be working for you next year and who will be on it. If you work nights, get up early and vote, lets keep the numbers increasing in this positive direction—–Poynter has been in this business a long time. He employes a large number of locals. His business, as well as many on the Island, rely not only on locals, but on tourists. He understands the importance of tourist growth and the financial impact it has on the City. As long as the big lake doesn’t dry up next to Fletcher, we need to do all we can to encourage and support tourism within the City. Bottom line–it’s profitable. It is also a good, honest and hardworking way to make a living here. Whatever you do, please don’t be sorry on Weds you didn’t vote for your candidate. whoever you choose, on Tues.

Steve Crounse
Steve Crounse (@guest_25035)
9 years ago
Reply to  tony crawford

Great news from a non industry. Gil i was wondering when we were going to hear from you. Lets see 504.5 million tourist non industry. vs. 59 jobs @ 50,000 dollars=2,950,ooo plus 50,000 stipend to the city. From a potential Toxic fossil fuel Terminal.( Not our old quint Port of Fernandina ) A Fossil Fuel Terminal with it’s safety, health, environment and social- economic issues is not the way to a bright future for this community. Vote for Mr. Tim Poynter. This is a Huge Vote for the life of this Town.

Sonny Florida
Sonny Florida (@guest_25038)
9 years ago
Reply to  tony crawford

Very well stated Mr. Crawford. Thanks for taking the time to express your thoughts.

Dave Lott
Dave Lott(@dave-l)
9 years ago

While the slow recovery of the economy is providing an overall increase in tourism, the strong and smart effort of Gil Langley and all his staff in promoting Fernandina Beach / Amelia Island is paying off big time. But remember, the TDC gets the visitors here, but it is the workers, the business owners and the citizens that control what kind of experience those visitors have and decide whether they will return. Great job to all, keep it up!

Andrew Curtin
Andrew Curtin(@bkdriverajcgmail-com)
9 years ago

Ah,yes.Tourism,the Pied Piper.We put all our eggs in that basket during the late 19th century.All was fine until Henry Flagler built his railroad down south and they all went to Miami.A single industry economy is an economic train wreck[pardon the pun] waiting to happen.We need the tourism,the industry we have,and need to encourage continued compatible commercial and industrial growth in our city and county.

Dave Lott
Dave Lott(@dave-l)
9 years ago
Reply to  Andrew Curtin

Andy, from my perspective, the key word in your comment is “compatible commercial and industrial growth”. Are the potential activities expressed in the Port’s 10 year master plan “compatible” with Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island? I don’t think so. No, we don’t want to put everything in tourism as we have seen that impact most recently; but at the same time generating some “clean” commercial growth with skilled positions (call centers, tech firms, etc.) would be a great boom to the Island.

tony crawford
tony crawford (@guest_25044)
9 years ago

Andy, Couldn’t agree with you more. Your points are well stated.
Lets all get out and vote for who we thing will lead us in that direction. Just a thought about old man Flagler and his Lionel set— Maybe they went to Maimi cause its warmer?

Steve Crounse
Steve Crounse (@guest_25057)
9 years ago

Mr. Curtin, AMEN we do need, ( compatible commercial and industrial growth in our County ) Put the Heavy industry at Crawford Diamond. Soft industry on the Island that is compatible with Tourism. You talk about short term gains. If this community allows Kinder Morgan to make Amalia Island a export Terminal for Liquefied Natural Gas ( All experts say the deposits of Natural Gas in the Marcellus Shale will peter out in twenty years ) So if you want to hook your wagon to this horse, It will not last as long as Tourism in the 19th Century. Be sides, when did you see the last tourist get off a train in Fernandina Beach.? Remember, Tourism Net gain for our County $504 million plus. Net gain Kinder Morgan Terminal? Does someone have the figures? Mr. Fullwood, i now your out there. I do know that the Port owes The Bank and Kinder Morgan $20,000,000 dollars but we are assured that the Port is in much better financial shape than it was in 1997, Mr Fullwood told us so!. Get out and Vote. Your vote my never be as meaningful again. Vote for Mr. Poynter if you want to see this Magnificent Island stay that way.

Steve Crounse
Steve Crounse (@guest_25060)
9 years ago
Reply to  Steve Crounse

Just a reminder, After you vote. The Fernandina Maritime Exchange is meeting at the Page Gov. Complex in Yulee @ 1:30 til 3:00 P.M. State of the Port report by Val Schwec. Retired Lt. Comdr. Robert Butts LNG liaison? (for who) Let the Public Relations by OHPA begin. See you there.

Donna Paz Kaufman
Donna Paz Kaufman(@dpazpazbookbiz-com)
9 years ago

Congratulations, Gil and your amazing team, for helping broaden our economic base and add diversity to the industries that do business on the Island. Every business in our beautiful downtown benefits tremendously from these marketing efforts and many remain in business because of our guests. For those who still uncomfortable with our growing tourism, fall back on your roots of Southern hospitality … and be grateful many business are doing better than ever.

CHAR BACHMAN
CHAR BACHMAN (@guest_25175)
9 years ago

RE: TOURISM. I AM CONCERNED WITH THE CLOSING OF THE MOVIE HOUSE ON THE ISLAND. TOURISTS LOVE TO GO SEE MOVIES THEY DON’T GET TO SEE IN THEIR WORK-A-DAY WORLD. MANY TOURISTS ARE HERE WITHOUT CARS…….AND MANY ARE OLDER FOLKS WHO DON’T W ANT TO DRIVE AT NIGHT OUT TO YULEE……OR IN THE HEAVY TRAFFIC ON RTE. 200. I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE CLOSING OF THE CINEMA AND WONDER IF ANYTHING IS BEING DONE TO BRING A NEW MOVIE HOUSE TO THE ISLAND. WE DON’T NEED A 7 FILM CINEMA……JUST ONE WITH ABOUT 3 MOVIES RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME. I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR TOURISM. HOPE YOU ARE CONCERNED AS WELL. CHAR BACHMAN