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For Florida, Investing In Its Beaches Is Worth It

Blue skies above a sandy beach
Daniel Piraino via Flickr

Florida gets a good return on its investment when it spends money on its beaches. That’s according to a study from the state’s top economists.

Chief Economist Amy Baker says the study looked into three factors – the draw of Florida’s beaches, the return on investment gained from beach-related spending,  and the impact on negative events like hurricanes.

“What we found is we get a return on our invested dollars of $5.41. So that means it recovers all of its cost and is actually bringing additional money into the state as a result of the activity we generate,” Baker says.

But Baker says disasters like hurricanes can mean the state loses a lot of money. She says a major hurricane could cost the state about $80 million for beach restoration. And could result in a loss of about $57 million  from reduced tourism.

Follow @Regan_McCarthy

Regan McCarthy covers healthcare and government in Tallahassee, Florida. She is the Assistant News Director for WFSU Public Media.

Phone: (850) 645-6090 | rmccarthy@fsu.edu

Find complete bio, contact info, and more stories here.