'On the Record': South Florida tourism
MONDAY AT SIX PALM BEACH COUNTY HAS GROWN INTO A MAJOR TOURISM DESTINATION. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE VISITING OUR AREA. IN FACT, THE COUNTY SAW A RECORD BREAKING ECONOMIC IMPACT FROM TOURISM LAST YEAR. $10 BILLION.
NOW THE NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO PROMOTING TOURISM DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES HAS A NEW LEADER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST TWO DECADES. THIS MORNING, WE GO ON THE RECORD WITH A FORMER CEO AND WITH A MAN NOW TAKING OVER JUST AS THE ALL IMPORTANT TOURISM SEASON IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. FROM WPBF 25, THIS IS ON THE RECORD WITH TODD MCDERMOTT. GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS SUNDAY MORNING.
HERE TO GO ON THE RECORD WITH ME IS THE MAN WHO HAS LED PALM BEACH COUNTY TOURISM MARKETING FIRM FOR THE PAST 61 YEARS. THEY'RE REALLY NOT EXACTLY LETTING HIM GO. HARRY PESCARA JOINS ME NOW TO GO ON THE RECORD. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THIS MORNING.
I APPRECIATE IT. THRILLED. FIRST OFF, LISTEN, YOU HAVE HAD TREMENDOUS SUCCESS DURING YOUR TENURE. DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES.
BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FACTORS THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLAY TO BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY. AS I MENTIONED, $10 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT. WELL, I THINK WE HAVE TO START WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A FANTASTIC DESTINATION. YOU KNOW, WE CALL OURSELVES AMERICA'S FIRST RESORT DESTINATION BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE TOURISM AND THE GRAND SCALE AND STYLE REALLY GOT STARTED IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND IN THE US, FRANKLY. BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK WE'VE DONE A NUMBER OF THINGS FROM A MARKETING AND TEAM BUILDING PERSPECTIVE THAT HAVE TAKEN US A LONG WAY.
WE DID A REBRANDING OR A BRAND ASSESSMENT IN MY EARLY TIME HERE, WHICH CHANGED THE NAME OR THE IDENTITY OF THE DESTINATION FROM PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA, TO AN INVITATION FOR PEOPLE TO DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES. SO THAT WAS A BIG THING. IT BROADENED THE APPEAL OF THE DESTINATION TO A GREATER AUDIENCE. BEFORE THAT, I THOUGHT PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS ONLY FOR THE RICH AND FAMOUS AND IT'S REALLY FOR EVERYBODY. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE BUILT A GREAT TEAM.
AND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE DID IS WE FOCUSED A LOT ON RESEARCH AND MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE SPENDING OUR LIMITED RESOURCES IN THE RIGHT TYPE OF MARKETING AND SALES EFFORTS. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE RESOURCES, BECAUSE ONE OF THE BIG ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER IS THE GROWTH IN THE REVENUES FROM THE BED TAX, WHICH WHICH FUNDS THE ORGANIZATION AND HELPS BRING PEOPLE IN. IT HAS JUST EXPLODED TREMENDOUSLY. YEAH, 200%. YOU KNOW, FROM I THINK IT WAS $26 MILLION WHEN I STARTED TO 84, $85 MILLION THIS YEAR. IT IS ALSO CREDIT TO OUR PARTNERS, THE HOTEL COMMUNITY WITHOUT THE HOTEL COMMUNITY, WE WOULDN'T BE WHAT WE ARE.
WE HAVE TWO OF THE MOST CLASSIC RESORTS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, THE BREAKERS IN PALM BEACH AND THE BOCA RATON AND BOCA RATON. AND THEY IN THEIR OWN RIGHT, REINVEST EVERY YEAR IN THEIR FACILITIES. THEY MAKE THEM SPIFFY AND ATTRACTIVE TO TO THE TRAVELING PUBLIC. AND THEY INVEST ON TRAINING AND DEVELOPING THEIR STAFF. SO IT'S REALLY A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEEEN THE HOSPITALITY COMMUNITY AND THE FOLKS THAT WE LEAD IN THE AREA OF DESTINATION MARKETING AND DESTINATION STEWARDSHIP, WAS IT EVER A HARD SELL TO GET THAT SUPPORT, OR IS IT MUCH EASIER NOW THAN IT WAS PERHAPS WHEN YOU STARTED? WELL, I THINK THAT WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN TERMS OF BRAND AWARENESS. I PERSONALLY HAD BEEN IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY FOR A LONG TIME BEFORE COMING HERE, AND I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW PALM BEACH COUNTY, TO BE HONEST, BEFORE COMING HERE.
I HAD LIVED IN EUROPE. I LIVED IN THE US. YOU KNOW, I BEEN IN PUERTO RICO AND ARUBA, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT BOCA RATON WAS PART OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. AND I THINK THAT WE DID A GOOD AMOUNT OF GOOD WORK IN PROJECTING THE SCOPE AND BREADTH OF WHAT WE REALLY REPRESENT, THE DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCES AND THE INCREDIBLE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF BEING FLORIDA'S CULTURAL CAPITAL. WELL, WE'RE FLORIDA'S GOLF CAPITAL.
THERE'S MORE GOLF HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY. IN THE INCREDIBLE OTHER NATURAL ASSETS, MORE TURTLE NESTING THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN NORTH AMERICA. THE THE EQUESTRIAN FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE IN THE WEST. SO BEING ABLE TO TELL THAT STORY IN A MORE COMPELLING, METHODICAL AND ACCURATE MANNER AND COMPELLING WAY IS MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
NOW, I HEAR YOU AND I WILL SAY THAT IF I DIDN'T LIVE HERE, I'D COME HERE TO VISIT JUST AFTER AFTER THAT PITCH. NOW, OBVIOUSLY, THE INDUSTRY AND THE AREA TOOK A HIT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC. AND IN THOSE MONTHS THAT FOLLOWED, DESCRIBE THAT AND ALSO THE E COMEBACK FROM THAT. YEAH, IT WAS CERTAINLY A SCARY TIME, BUT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH SCARY TIMES BEFORE. I MEAN, I WAS HERE, I ARRIVED IN OCTOBER OF 2007, WHICH IS OFFICIALLY THE THE FIRST MONTH OF THE GREAT RECESSION. SO THAT WAS A TERRIBLE TIME AS WELL.
BUT THE PANDEMIC, OF COURSE, TOOK THE ENTIRE WORLD BY SURPRISE. WE HAD TO RETOOL AND WE HAD TO STREAMLINE OUR OPERATIONS IN A VERY SIGNIFICANT WAY. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF MARKET THAT WE COULD CAPTURE NEAR OUR DESTINATION HERE. SO ALL OF A SUDDEN, MIAMI, FORT LAUDERDALE OR ORLANDO BECAME VERY IMPORTANT TO US AS AS A SOURCE OF TRAVELERS.
FLORIDA WAS FORTUNATE IN THAT IT OPENED A LITTLE EARLIER THAN A LOT OF OTHER STATES IN THE COUNTRY, AND WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT. THE SITUATION. WE ALSO WERE ONE OF THE FIRST DESTINATIONS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING CALLED THE G BACK SANITATION PROGRAM, WHICH WAS A VERY RIGOROUS PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT OUR FACILITIES FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER TO HOTELS AND ATTRACTIONS WAS COMPLY WITH A NUMBER OF SANITATION AND CLEANLINESS STANDARDS. AND WE WERE ABLE TO TELL THAT STORY TO PEOPLE WHO WOULD WANT TO COME HERE. LET ME ASK YOU ONE MORE QUESTION BEFORE WE GO TO THE BREAK, AND THAT IS, WITH ALL YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO TAKE A BIT OF A VICTORY LAP RIGHT NOW.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF DURING YOUR TENURE AT DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES? WELL, I THINK THAT PROBABLY THE THE THING THAT CLEARLY COMES TO MIND IS BUILDING A GREAT TEAM. WE HAVE A TEAM THAT IN A DESTINATION THAT HAS A BUDGET OF $27 MILLION ALMOST, BUT WE CAN REALLY GO TOE TO TOE WITH SOME OF THE BIG PLAYERS OUT THERE. I THINK THAT THE OPPORTUNITY TO TO TO MAKE THAT TEAM PUT PUT THAT TEAM TOGETHER HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND REALLY RIO BRANDING THE DESTINATION AND AND PROJECTING AN INVITATION FOR PEOPLE TO DISCOVER A PLACE THAT HAS AN INCREDIBLE MORE DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS BEEN PROBABLY THE TWO THINGS THAT I'M MOST PROUD OF. COREY THANKS FOR GOING ON THE RECORD, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU LEAVE YOU HAVE TO USE TO STAY RIGHT THERE. NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH A NEW LEADER TO DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES WHEN ON THE RECORD RETURNS. TODAY, PUSH HARDER, PUSH FORWARD, PUSH VIGOROUSLY.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT I AM HIDING FROM PEOPLE THAT I'M TRYING TO INSPIRE. YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU SET YOUR MIND TO. I FEEL LIKE A HYPOCRITE. A LOT OF THE TIMES. DON'T GIVE UP ON YOURSELF EVER SMOKING.
HIDE IT BECAUSE CAUSE I'M ASHAMED OF IT. I WANT TO GET OUT OF THE SHADOW. I WANT TO SHOW PEOPLE THERE IS LIGHT AWAY FROM THE DARKNESS. I AM GOING TO QUIT. VISIT TOBACCO FREE FLORIDA.COM
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WELCOME BACK TO ON THE RECORD. JOINING US NOW IS MILTON SEGARRA THE NEW CEO OF DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES. AND WE'VE ASKED THE FORMER CEO OR PESQUERA TO STAY WITH US BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LET HIM GO. AND NEITHER DOES DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES.
SO, MILTON, FIRST, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE ROLE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT THE TRANSITION HAS BEEN LIKE. I JUST FOUND OUT YOU GUYS HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER A LONG, LONG TIME. A LONG, LONG TIME.
WHAT HAS THE TRANSITION BEEN LIKE TO TAKE OVER THIS ROLE? OH, YOU KNOW, FIRST FOR MY FAMILY AND MYSELF TO BE HERE IS IS A PRIVILEGE, YOU KNOW, TO BE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. IT'S AMAZING. AND TO FOLLOW GEORGE'S LEADERSHIP IN THIS PHENOMENAL ORGANIZATION IS THE ONE OF THE HIGHEST HONOR IN MY CAREER. SO I'M I'M BLESSED. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO KEEP THIS. THE THING IS THIS HOW DO YOU MAKE SOMETHING THAT IS GREAT, EVEN GREATER? THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TAKING FROM THOSE PILLARS THAT GEORGE DESCRIBED. HOW ARE WE GOING TO TAKE THIS WITH THE PHENOMENAL TEAM WE HAVE IN PLACE AND WE TAKE THIS COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY THE TOURISM ASSETS, BUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN HOSPITALITY AND TRAVEL. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT THE TRANSITIONON HAS BEEN REALLY SMOOTH. I BEEN PART OF THE TEAM AND I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO BE PART OF THE TEAM FOR A YEAR BEFORE TAKING THE CEO POSITION AND AND COMPETE FOR THIS POSITION IN AN OPEN SEARCH PROCESS. IT'S BEEN GREAT.
AND HAVING GEORGE AS A TRANSITION ADVISOR, IT'S A PERFECT SITUATION FOR FOR ME AS A NEW CEO AND THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION AND THE BOARD THAT WE SERVE. ARI HAIT SEE WHY I KEPT YOU HERE SO YOU CAN SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT YOU. SO TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT JUST GONE AND FORGOTTEN.
I KNOW THAT YOU YOU SAY YOU'RE RETIRED, BUT YOU ARE DOING A LOT AND WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN OFFERING AND WHAT'S YOUR ROLE NOW? WELL, WE HAVE MANAGED TO TAKE THE ORGANIZATION AND THE DESTINATION TO A PLACE WHERE FOR A COUPLE OF VERY IMPORTANT THINGS ARE ABOUT TO HAPPEN. ONE OF THEM IS CALLED A TOURISM MASTER PLAN. IT'S A IT'S A BIG, BROAD ENCOMPASSING ROADMAP THAT PAINTS A FUTURE FOR WHAT TOURISM, THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, WILL LOOK LIKE IN PALM BEACH COUNTY OVER THE NEXT 10 TO 20 YEARS. AND THAT PROJECT IS JUST ABOUT TO GET STARTED.
SO I'M WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE TEAM, MILTON AND OTHERS AND THE TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT UNDERWAY IN A WAY THAT IS APPROPRIATE AND THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COUNTY. I'M GOING TO MAKE MILTON TALK MORE ABOUT THAT LATER ON, BUT I DO WANT I HAVE TO POINT OUT YOU WERE THE FIRST HISPANIC CEO OF DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES IN THIS ROLE IN TOURISM. AND NOW MILTON TAKES OVER. YOU HAVE TO TAKE SOME PRIDE IN THAT LEGACY. I WOULD THINK. IT'S IT'S IT WAS A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT OF YOURS.
AND NOW IT CONTINUES. WELL, ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COME FROM A TRADITION OF HOSPITALITY. MY FATHER WAS INVOLVED IN TOURISM IN PUERTO RICO BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS. AND I KNOW MILTON'S FAMILY IS ALSO INVOLVED IN THE HOSPITALITY BUSINESS.
SO SO PUERTO RICO HAS HAD ITS CHALLENGES OVER OVER THE YEARS. BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAS REALLY BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT ISLAND, IS THE IS THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND HOW HOW IT HAS BEEN ABLE TO PROJECT ITSELF AROUND THE WORLD. AND I THINK THAT I MEAN, EVEN THE FIRST HILTON HOTEL IN HILTON INTERNATIONAL ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WAS THE CARIBE HILTON IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO. SO THERE'S A GREAT, GREAT TRADITION THERE AS WELL THAT WE CAN PIGGYBACK ON. I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU WHAT KIND OF ADVICE YOU'VE GIVEN, MILTON, BUT LET ME ASK MILTON, BESIDES MAYBE SOME OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THIS, WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE JORGE HAS GIVEN YOU? LISTEN TO THE STAKEHOLDERS. WELL, I'M GOING TO SAY A FEW SOME OTHERS I KNOW YOU.
YOU HAVE A LIST. GIVE US A LIST. YOU KNOW, LISTEN TO THE STAKEHOLDERS. DUE TO THE FACT T THAT WE HAVE A LONG LIST OF COMMITTED PROFESSIONALS IN THIS IN THIS BUSINESS NUMBER TWO, THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PART OF OUR ECOSYSTEM, NOT ONLY FROM THE HOTEL AND RESTAURANTS AND ATTRACTIONS, BUT AS WELL WITHIN THE COUNTY THAT ARE KEY AND IMPORTANT FOR US TO WORK IN COLLABORATION. SO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE KEY ADVICE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT GEORGE, AFTER 16 YEARS IN MILTON, YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS IS IMPORTANT.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONTINUE. THIS IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD IMPROVE AND THAT TYPE OF THINGS IS IS KEY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MASTER PLANNING AND FUTURE PROJECTS, THIS IS NOT A PROJECT OF ONE. THIS IS A PROJECT OF NOT ONLY DISCOVER, THIS IS A PROJECT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS A PROJECT ABOUT EVERY SINGLE PEOPLE THAT LIVES HERE IN THIS COUNTY.
AND THOSE TYPE OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADVICE IS PRICELESS. IS THAT GOOD? I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER. BEFORE I LET YOU GO AND MAKE MILTON STAY BESIDE US, THIS ROLE THAT YOU STILL HAVE AND DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES. WHAT ARE WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THIS SUPPOSED RETIREMENT OF YOURS? WELL, I JUST CAME OUT OF A BOARD MEETING OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PALM BEACH COUNTY.
I'M AN AVID READER OF HISTORY AND DOCUMENT AREAS. AND, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN SAN JUAN, WHICH IS A 600 YEAR OLD CITY. AND I LOVED ALL THAT STUFF. SO THE HISTORY OF PALM BEACH COUNTY IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY ATTRACTS ME. I HOPE THAT I CAN MAKE FURTHER CONTRIBUTION ONES NOT ONLY TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, BUT TO OTHER CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, MAYBE BECOME CONTINUE TO BECOME ENGAGED WITH DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES IN SOME FASHION FROM AN OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW. AND AND JUST SUPPORT THE TEAM HOWEVER I CAN.
SO HE'LL BE AROUND. HE'LL BE AROUND. I WAS GOING TO SAY, THIS IS ON THE RECORD, SO I HAVE YOU ON THE RECORD THAT MILTON CAN CALL YOU ANY TIME.
RIGHT? OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. NO, GEORGE, IT'S IT'S IT'S PART OF WHY, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED SOME INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL. YOU NEED LEADERSHIP TO GROW AN INDUSTRY, A COMMUNITY. AND GEORGE IS PART OF THAT. HE'S PART OF THOSE PILLARS THAT GREW THIS BUSINESS TO THIS LEVEL HERE IN PALM BEACH COUNTY.
AND HE WILL NEVER HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CUT HIS HIS PART OF THIS. AND WE WILL KEEP HIM CLOSE AS WELL. NOW IT'S ESTABLISHED JUST THE WAY IT IS. AND FINALLY, MY WIFE HAS A HOME CARE AGENCY, SO I'M HER FIRST AND MOST LOYAL CLIENT OR EVEN SCARED.
CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, THANKS FOR GOING ON THE RECORD TODAY. MILTON. DON'T GO AWAY. WE'LL ACTUALLY GET BACK TO WHATEVER HE WAS DOING.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU, MILTON. STAY WITH US AGAIN AS WE DISCOVER MORE ABOUT WHAT'S AHEAD FOR DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES WHEN ON THE RECORD RETURNS TONIGHT, WATCH WPBF 25 NEWS AT FIVE, MONDAY AT SIX WPBF 25 NEWS HELPS YOU TACKLE THE RISING COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE. PICKING A HEALTH CARE PLAN. IT CAN BE INTIMIDATING SOMETIMES. AND WITH THE RISING COSTS, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PICKING THE RIGHT PLAN FOR OUR FAMILY, FOR OURSELVES? WE HAVE ADVICE ON HOW YOU CAN MAKE SURE YOU'RE GETTING EVERYTHING YOU NEED.
ALSO, I FOUND OUT THE BIGGEST MISTAKE THAT WE MAKE AS FLORIDIANS HEALTH INSURANCE SOLUTIONS MONDAY AT 6:00 ON WPBF 25 NEWS. WELCOME BACK TO SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING. FINAL QUESTION IS WHICH ONE OF THESE BENEFITS CAN YOU RECEIVE EVERY YEAR IF YOU ENROLL WITH HEALTH SUN? IS IT $5,000 FOR COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL SERVICES. $2,400 FOR GROCERIES, HOME AND PET CARE SUPPLIES AND UTILITIES, $1,500 FOR OTC ITEMS OR ALL OF THE ABOVE? SINCE INDY D, ALL OF THEM, ME% COST A DAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR BENEFITS WHEN IT COMES TO SMARTER HURRICANE PROTECTION, MORE FLORIDIANS ARE CHOOSING STORM SMART. CHOOSING STORM SMART WAS ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS I MADE ININ 2022. THE SHUTTERS WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN PROTECTING OUR HOME DURING HURRICANE IAN.
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COUNTRY CLUB LIVING HAS A NEW STYLE AT ASTOR CREEK GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB MODELS OPEN DAILY VISIT ASTOR CREEK'S HOME. WE ARE BACK WITH THE NEW CEO OF DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES. MILTON SEGARRA STAYS WITH US. RIGHT NOW. YOU ARE ON TRACK TO BRING IN MORE TOURISTS THAN EVER.
HOW IS THIS BEING ACCOMPLISHED? OBVIOUSLY, THE ECONOMY IS NOT WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS IT TO BE NATIONALLY, BUT PALM BEACH COUNTY TOURISM IS STILL REALLY ON FIRE RIGHT AFTER COVID. YOU KNOW, THE THE GROWTH THAT WE HAVE SEEN IS SECOND TO NONE. THAT'S THE FACT. AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR PARTNERS, HOTELS, AIRLINES, THE AIRPORTS, THE OTHER AGENCIES AND ESPECIALLY THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO TO KEEP THAT TREND. WHAT WE HAVE AHEAD OF US IS GOING TO BE VERY CHALLENGING. AND THAT'S WHY THE MASTER PLAN IS SO IMPORTANT TO HELP US.
BUT IN THE NEXT 12, 18 MONTHS, WE'LL SEE SOME CHANGES IN TERMS OF KEY AREAS LIKE MARKETING THE BRAND, THE MARKETING TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS THAT WE CAN BRING THAT HELP US TO REALLY CONNECT, ENGAGE AND NUMBER ONE, MAINTAIN THE MARKET SHARE THAT WE HAVE. NUMBER TWO, CREATE AND EXPAND THAT MARKET SHARE AND BRING NEW VISITORS TO THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE THAT WE CAN GO FROM THE BREAKERS TO A BEAUTIFUL SMALL HOTEL OR APARTMENT RENTAL IN WEST PALM BEACH. WELL, LET'S TALK MORE ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN, IF YOU WOULD. GIVE GIVE PEOPLE SOME IDEA OF WHAT ELSE IS INVOLVED IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE YOU MIGHT THINK IMMEDIATELY HOTELS AND ATTRACTIONS AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.
DON'T GET ME WRONG. BUT THIS IS MORE THAN THAT. THIS IS HOW WEWE AS A COMMUNITY WILL THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE WANT TO GROW TOURISM, WHAT TYPE OF TOURISM WE WANT TO BRING HERE QUESTIONS LIKE DO WE THINK WE NEED TO DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF VISITORS AND THE SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY TO CONSIDER THIS DESTINATION SUCCESSFUL? DO WE WANT TO SPREAD TOURISM TO UNDERSERVED AREAS OF OUR COUNTY? WILL THAT BE SUSTAINABLE? WHAT TYPE OF REQUIREMENTS? WHAT TYPE OF POLICIES WE NEED IN PLACE? WHAT TYPE OF ATTRACTIONS WE WANT TO BRING, WHAT TYPE OF EXPERIENCES WE WANT TO PORTRAY, NOT ONLY AND BRING NOT ONLY TO THE LOCALS, BUT AS WELL TO THE VISITORS..
SO WHEN YOU WHEN YOU APPROACH THAT IN THAT DIRECTION, YOU SEE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SPREAD AND A VERY AMPLE OPPORTUNITY AND SCOPE OF OPTIONS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO BRING THE MAKE SURE THAT WE CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITIES, ASK THEM WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE, WHAT ARE THE RESULTS, WHAT ARE THEY'RE WILLING TO DO, WHAT ARE THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO DO, AND BRING THAT AND BRING A A FACILITATOR, A PROFESSIONAL IN THIS BUSINESS THAT IS GOING TO HELP US TO CRAFT THAT PLAN STEP BY STEP SECTION BY SECTION THAT ALL OF US, WE FEEL PROUD THAT WE CAN HAVE OWNERSHIP ON THAT PLAN AND THEN EXECUTE THAT PLAN WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE, TEN, 15, 20 YEARS. WELL, AS WE'RE HERE ON THE CUSP OF THE TOURIST SEASON, REALLY TAKING OFF AGAIN, AS WE KNOW IT DOES DURING THE FALL, HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THE IMPACT ON FULL TIME RESIDENTS? I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE LOOK TO WHAT'S THE IMPACT ON ME AS WE BRING MORE TOURISTS TO OUR COUNTY. WELL, TOURISM IS NOT ONLY A PHENOMENAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL, IT'S ALSO TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PLACE AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF F OF THE RESIDENTS. SO THOSE TYPE OF POLICIES, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE MASTER PLAN AND WHAT WE COULD DO IN THE MEANTIME WITH CITIES OR THE COUNTY IS GOING TO HELP US TO REALLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND THE VISITORS EXPERIENCE. BUT NUMBER TWO, AND REALLY IMPORTANT HOW WE THAT WE LIVE HERE, WE THINK ABOUT THIS AND THE GOOD THING IS THAT THE WE DO RESIDENTS SURVEYS LOCAL RESIDENTS, SENTIMENT REPORTS AND THE FEEDBACK IS THAT THEY SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, TOURISM IS A VERY IMPORTANT ECONOMIC COMPONENT OF OUR COUNTY AND WE LIKE IT.
SO WE WANT TO SEE HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GROW THIS. WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE. BUT THE THE THE DESIRE TO ENGAGE IN THIS CONVERSATION IS REALLY BIG FOR FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS HERE IN PALM BEACH COUNTY.
IF I COULD WRAP THIS UP BY ASKING YOU, WHAT'S YOUR YOUR NUMBER ONE GOAL IS MOVING FORWARD WITH DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES. WHAT IS IT? WELL, THAT'S A VERY COMPLEX QUESTION. BUT NUMBER ONE IS TO MAKE SURE IN THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, WITH ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, IS THAT WE DON'T LOSE ANY MARKET SHARE, THAT WE MAINTAIN A HEALTHY AND SOLID BASE IN 2024. AND WE KEEP BUILDING THE NEXT ROUND OF VISITORS AND THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE FROM 2025 ON. ALL RIGHT.
WELL, MILTON, CIGAR, FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. WE'VE ESTABLISHED YOU HAVE BIG SHOES TO FILL, BUT YOU'RE THE MAN TO DO IT. THANK YOU. AND CONGRATULATIONS. IT CERTAINLY IS NO SECRET THAT WE LIVE IN THE PREMIER DESTINATION, AMERICA'S FIRST RESORT DESTINATION.
THERE YOU GO. ONE MORE TIME. THANKS AGAIN.
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YOU CAN COUNT ON TO LIVE THE BEST YEARS OF YOUR LIFE. WE OFFER BENEFITS LIKE A PART B GIFT BAG, COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL, AND MORE. THE CHOICE IS SIMPLE. IT'S SIMPLY ALL ABOUT YOU. CALL US TODAY FOR OVER A CENTURY, LOCAL BROADCASTING HAS EVOLVED WITH THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE MOVE PAST THE STIGMAS OF OPINION, JOURNALISM AND BRING THE MOST RELEVANT NEWS ONLINE, ON AIR AND ON THE GO. YOU HAVE TRUSTED US WITH YOUR NEWS, SPORTS AND WEATHER AND ENTERTAINMENT. TRUST US TO KEEP MOVING WITH YOU. TEXT TB TO 52886 AND TELL CONGRESS LOCAL BROADCASTING IS HERE TO STAY.
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WE WANT TO THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS, FOR MAKING US PART OF YOUR SUNDAY MORNING. AS ALWAYS, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE PART OF OUR CONVERSATIONS. THE DISCUSSIONS EACH AND EVERY SUNDAY AS WE GO ON THE RECORD RIGHT HERE AT 10 A.M. NOW, UNTIL
THEN, YOU CAN WATCH THIS MORNING'S PROGRAM AND EVERY EPISODE ON OUR WEBSITE, WPBF.COM AND ON OUR FREE WPBF 25 NEWS APP. MATTER OF FACT, WITH SOLEDAD O'BRIEN IS NEXT. WE HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY. WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT WEEK.
2023-10-31 01:36
