Return to NCFRPC home page.The Economic Development Program of the Council consists of economic development planning, and tourism promotion activities.
The federal Economic Development Administration designated the region as an Economic Development District in 1978. The Council maintains a high level of involvement in providing technical assistance to local governments and development authorities in order to promote economic growth.
The Council works with the Florida State Rural Development Council, Enterprise Florida, Inc. and VISIT FLORIDA in defining strategies for dealing with the problems and needs of rural Florida.
The Original Florida Tourism Task Force is comprised of representatives from each of the participating counties to oversee and direct the tourism promotion effort. The members have varied backgrounds which they bring to the program, but they share one thing in common--the desire to carve out their share of the number of tourists who visit Florida each year, and to do so without harming the very natural resources which are the mainstay of the area’s attractions.
As part of promoting The Original Florida area, travel writers visit the area who, in turn, write and publish in various news media (travel magazines, and travel sections in major newspapers throughout the country), reaching an audience of approximately 82 million readers.
Lodging establishments and businesses in the region participate in a campaign promoting "January" as "Canadian Month." Lodging establishments as well as other tourism-related businesses participate in the promotion. Participating organizations throughout The Original Florida region offer discounts on lodging to Canadian citizens during the month of January each year.
The Task Force also prints map brochures. The brochures are distributed at each of the five Florida Welcome centers, each of the eleven county chambers of commerce, area hotels and lodging establishments, and several real estate agencies.
The Task Force also maintains the Internet homepage of The Original Florida.
In late 1996, the eleven counties of north central Florida joined together in forming a regional partnership known as the North Central Florida Economic Development Partnership. The formation of the regional partnership set in motion the opportunity for local agencies to take full advantage of the realignment of functions of the Florida Department of Commerce into the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development within the Executive Office of the Governor, and the creation of Enterprise Florida, Inc.
Recognizing that the region has a number of functioning local economic development programs in addition to several regional efforts, the Partnership provides a forum to coordinate, complement, and enhance those economic development programs.
The regional partnership requires financial or in-kind commitments from the private and public sectors. Efforts are directed at: (1) promoting a regional identity; (2) developing procedures for the dissemination of Partnership promotional material including regional brochures and "fact" sheets on each county, (3) active participation in Community Showcases, Trade Events, and Incoming Trade Missions sponsored by Enterprise Florida and the World Trade Centers of Florida; and (4) providing assistance in overseeing the tourism and aquaculture activities of The Original Florida's Hidden Coast counties.
Subsequent to the successful attainment of a grant from the Ford Foundation, the Big Bend Tri-County Task Force was formed in late 1995. The task force was comprised of residents, business owners, and local government officials from Dixie, Levy, and Taylor Counties. The Council utilized the grant to employ a coordinator to work with the Task Force as it addressed the economic revitalization of the tri-county area.
The Council obtained a grant from Enterprise Florida, Inc. to promote international trade. The grant funding offered the Hidden Coast Shellfish Producers Association, Inc. the opportunity to participate in a graduate program at the University of Florida (IB 2000) promoting international trade. Additionally, the Association president participated in a "Team Florida Trade mission" to Mexico City which was led by Governor Bush.
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