Tourism funds are necessary

Guests love our resort’s beachfront location, but destinations like California, Texas and Hawaii have beaches and sunshine, too. That’s where Visit Florida and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau make a difference, because they market the uniqueness of our city and state.

State and local tourism promotion entities bring people to the Sunshine State, which results in a trickle down effect. After all, people don’t just stay inside hotels — recreation rentals, restaurants, small boutiques and vendors all reap the benefits of Fort Lauderdale tourists.

Our 200 employees also benefit from tourism. We have a single mom able to raise her kids because of our hotel’s success, and a student putting herself through school by working at our hotel.

Tourism keeps our economy strong and our Floridian families employed, and I urge state representatives to vote no on slashing Visit Florida’s funding. Heidi Dennis, general manager of Pelican Grand Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale