On Tuesday, St. Johns County officials used social media to hammer home a familiar point: tourism is the backbone of the local economy. In a county update, they pegged the visitor economy at roughly $3.8 billion in total economic activity, said tourism directly or indirectly supports about 32,400 jobs and represents roughly $885 million in payroll. Visitors also help generate about $53 million in combined local sales and property tax revenue. For a community built around beaches, a historic downtown and tournaments, those figures are a reminder of how tightly tourism is woven into everyday life.
The data first appeared in a post on Facebook and were echoed in a county recap of a WSOS interview with VCB CEO Susan Phillips. According to St. Johns County, tourism is one of the largest drivers of jobs and economic growth in the area.
Tourism By The Numbers
The $3.8 billion figure is presented as an economic-impact estimate, a catchall measure that folds in direct visitor spending along with indirect and induced effects on local businesses. County procurement documents and planning materials likewise describe tourism as the county’s chief economic engine and list an estimated 32,400 jobs tied to visitor activity, per the county's tourism marketing RFP and planning packet. RFP No. 1824, available via Government Navigator, lays out the county's tourism marketing goals and the overall scale of the effort.
How Tax Revenue and Funding Fit In
Local promotion and events are funded mainly through the Local Option Tourist Development Tax, the five percent bed tax collected on short-term lodging, which the county says underwrites marketing, events and tourism assets. The county’s TDC budget spells out how those dollars are allocated by category and zip code, according to St. Johns County. In Tallahassee, lawmakers have debated changes to how TDT dollars can be used. Opponents warn that shifting the revenue could shrink marketing budgets that counties rely on to attract visitors, as reported by FlaglerLive.
What It Means For Residents
Officials say the numbers show tourism supports a broad swath of jobs, from servers and hotel staff to construction and event production. They also highlight the tradeoffs. Much of the county’s visitor economy runs on seasonal and service-sector work, and public leaders say stable bed-tax revenues are necessary to fund beach maintenance, safety and marketing. County staff told local commissioners they are tracking collections and event bookings as they plan FY26 budgets and partner grants.
