Volusia County, FL – According to a new study, Volusia County’s nonprofit arts and culture industry creates $48.7 million annually and supports nearly 1,500 jobs.
The national Arts & Economic Prosperity V (AEP5) study was conducted by the art and art education nonprofit, Americans for the Arts. The AEP5 study found that in 2015, Volusia spent over $13.7 million on operations such as paying employees, buying supplies, and hiring contractors for services. This investment supported 414 full-time jobs, $9.9 million in income for county residents and $1.8 million in revenue for the local and state government.
“Volusia County's art, cultural and heritage assets are a vital element of economic development,” said chair of the Volusia County Cultural Council, Edith Shelley. “They touch our economy at crucial leverage points, including innovation, entrepreneurship, employment and revitalization. Creatively acknowledging and marketing those assets help attract a strong workforce and successful businesses, and sustain a positive quality of life for all of us who call Volusia County home.”
In Volusia, $35 million was also spent on event-related activities including eating at restaurants, parking, buying souvenirs and paying for a babysitter. 14% of attendees are from out of town and stay in hotels, spending 27 percent more than local attendees. Visitors spend about $32 on historic and cultural events. This spending resulted in $22.4 million household income for Volusia residents, 1,057 full-time jobs and $5.2 million in local and state tax revenue.
Nationally, in 2015, the nonprofit arts industry created $166.3 billion. Organizations collectively spent $63.8 billion and their patrons spent $102.5 billion. This spending sustained 4.6 million full-time jobs and resulted in $27.5 billion in local, state and federal tax revenue.
“By every measure, the results of Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 prove that the arts are an industry – a generator of government revenue, a cornerstone of tourism, and an employment powerhouse both locally and across the nation,” said president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, Robert L. Lynch. “Leaders who care about community and economic vitality, growing tourism, attracting an innovative workforce, and community engagement can feel good about choosing to invest in the arts.”
The Volusia County’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Division funded the analysis of Volusia County’s nonprofit arts and culture industry. United Arts of Central Florida provided the local implementation and data collection for the study.
For additional information about the AEP5 study or cultural activities in Volusia, go here or contact Cultural Coordinator Jessi Jackson Smith via email at jjsmith@volusia.org or call 386-736-5953, ext. 15872.
Photo courtesy of OceanCenter.com.
Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.
