Collier County weighs sixth penny for tourism projects

As Collier County rebounds from a softened tourism market over the last 18 months, visitors could soon be paying more for their stay if a 1% tourist development tax is approved in the Nov. 3 general election. 

Collier County voters will be asked whether to increase the county’s tourism bed tax from 5 cents to 6 cents to complete Paradise Coast Sports Complex and fund tourism promotion, beach renourishment and tourist-related infrastructure. 

The Board of County Commissioners approved the ballot measure in July 2025. If passed in November, the new tax rate on short-term rentals — stays of six months or less — at hotels, Airbnbs and other vacation properties would go into effect Jan. 1, 2027. 

At a National Travel and Tourism Week luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, on May 5, Commissioner Burt Saunders told an audience of more than 200 tourism industry professionals his reasons for supporting the tourist tax increase. 

“My goal in promoting a one-cent increase in tourist tax is to make sure that Collier County and our tourism folks have the resources to promote tourism and to make sure that the world knows about Collier County, but also to make sure that we have additional facilities that will attract tourists that maybe would not have come here had it not been for some of the facilities being provided,” Saunders said. 

Saunders, who currently serves as chair of the Tourist Development Council, has been a vocal proponent of the increase because some of the funds could be used to complete Paradise Coast Sports Complex, which he believes can play a significant role in attracting more visitors to the county. 

Future planned phases include additional fields, parking, restrooms and an indoor sports fieldhouse for volleyball, basketball, ping-pong, pickleball and other sports. 

Sports complex as tourism driver 

Saunders pointed to the successful first season of FC Naples in 2025, which he said brought thousands of fans to the park, as well as heavy use of the facility’s soccer and baseball fields for youth sports. 

A county-commissioned study found that 70% to 80% of out-of-market teams traveling for games stay three to five nights, with an average of 2.5 to 3.5 guests per participant, generating additional spending on lodging, dining and retail. 

Saunders said the sports activities would help drive tourism during the summer months, when visitation in Southwest Florida typically slows, and argued that year-round tourism demand is one of the facility’s most important benefits. 

He said a portion of the proposed tax increase would be used to promote tourism and market Collier County to visitors. 

“Our tourism folks are doing this as an ongoing effort,” Saunders said. “There are a lot of folks on the county commission who feel that everybody knows about Naples, so therefore maybe advertising is not so important. 

“Well, they’re wrong about that. It’s a very competitive world and we need to continue advertising, and we have to get more money into advertising.” 

Under Florida law, 40% of all tourist development tax revenue must be used for tourism marketing and promotion. 

Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB Tourism Director Jay Tusa said completing the sports complex would strengthen efforts to market the destination for baseball and softball tournaments during the slower summer season. 

“That could be a big driver of visitation in the summertime, so that’s one thing from the CVB’s perspective that we think could really help all of our tourism partners in the destination,” Tusa said. 

Greater Naples Chamber President and CEO Kristina Park said the county needs the extra revenue generated by the TDT increase to market the destination year-round. 

“We’re a great place for families and a great place for so many types of visitors, but we really need those resources to help tell that story year-round in a globally competitive marketplace,” Park said. 

“I think it’s really exciting for us to be able to consider an opportunity that is funded by tourists to use those bed-tax dollars to market the destination and be able to attract real year-round visitation.” 

Education campaign on sixth penny 

When it comes to the referendum, the county cannot officially advocate regarding the outcome, but commissioners can express individual opinions, and the county commission can allocate funds for a voter education campaign. 

In December 2025, commissioners unanimously approved $150,000 from the county’s general fund, which Saunders said would be used for promotional materials, including a dedicated website and printed materials. 

“One of the things that’s very important for people to understand is that this is not an increase in your [ad valorem] taxes for residents: It’s an increase in the tax on tourists,” he said. 

Saunders said the Greater Naples Chamber and the Collier County Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association would assist with the public information campaign. 

A printed handout provided at the luncheon states the current tax generates approximately $48 million to $50 million annually and that, if approved, the proposed TDT would generate approximately $10 million in additional funding, based on fiscal year 2025 collections. 

John Mullins, division director of communications, said the county hired Naples-based Jacobs Engineering to oversee public information efforts for the sixth-penny initiative. 

The firm, which has conducted other information campaigns for the county in the past, will be responsible for creating a website — CollierTDT.com — and conducting up to 10 community information meetings across the county. 

Mullins said Jacobs Engineering hired Naples-based Exploritech as a subcontractor to create the website. 

Under state law, county funds cannot be used to advocate for passage of the ballot measure, he said, noting the firm’s role is to educate voters. “We can’t use county funds to promote passage,” Mullins said. “We can only provide accurate, fair and impartial information.” 

Public meetings on the education campaign are not expected to begin until at least late summer, when more seasonal residents are back in the community and able to participate. Other parts of the campaign, including direct mail, email and social media outreach, are still being considered.