After a sluggish summer and a few hurricanes, Collier County may nearly double tourism spending this fiscal year to $11 million to expand markets and draw more tourists.

The supplemental spending plan approved by the Tourist Development Council on Oct. 16 comes after the TDC last month urged county Tourism Director Jay Tusa to boost marketing after occupancy rates dropped this summer.

“In light of the storms that we just had over the past few weeks, I think that it would be prudent to spend some additional dollars on marketing,” Tusa told the TDC, noting that competitor markets, such as the Florida Keys, already increased advertising to assure visitors they’re open for business, despite Hurricane Milton.

After a lengthy discussion and presentations from Paradise Advertising & Marketing and other tourism partners, TDC Vice Chair Clark Hill, Hilton Naples’ general manager, made a motion that passed unanimously to spend up to $5,067,500 more to promote Collier’s Paradise Coast.

If approved by the Board of County Commissioners next month, the money would come from $13 million in tourist-development tax reserves, funds from the county’s 5% bed tax — revenues from hotels, Airbnbs and other rentals of six months or less. Final numbers aren’t in from the county Tax Collector, but Tusa expects $48 million in tourist development tax collections this past fiscal year.

Before the vote, Tusa provided statistics from Amelia Island, Tampa, Palm Beach, Fort Myers and others to show their tourism spending outpaces Collier’s Convention & Visitors Bureau — Naples, Marco Island and Everglades — with Palm Beach spending 39%, compared with the 13.6% Collier last fiscal year.

Hill noted they bring in more business, while Collier shows a slight decline, while beach renourishment costs are escalating. Beaches are a major lure for tourists and using more tourist-development taxes for renourishment will drain needed funds.

“We need to generate more revenue,” Hill added.

Tusa provided three options for supplementing the roughly $6 million promotions budget: $5.06 million for Option 1, $3,707,500 for Option 2 and $2,462,500 for Option 3. They featured varying promotional levels and new markets at a cost of $250,000 for a new market each season. After success in Chicago and Canada, Paradise Advertising suggested Boston, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Philadelphia, Detroit and Indianapolis.

The option commissioners chose features a stronger presence in current markets; focusing on feeder markets; expanding summer markets by four cities and winter markets by three; partner co-op programs; luxury media partnerships; and increasing market research, influencer marketing, paid advertising opportunities, international public relations, digital marketing, group meetings and travel trades.

In comparison, Option 2 expanded to one new market in winter and two for the summer, while Option 3 included three new summer markets, no new winter markets and no international marketing boost.

TDC Chair Rick LoCastro, a county commissioner, believed the “biggest bang for the buck” was expanding marketing tactics used in Cleveland to other markets, such as Philadelphia, Detroit and Boston, rather than spending on influencers.

But TDC member Jared Grifoni, vice chair of Marco Island City Council, wanted to try new options, including more influencers.

“This other stuff might give us a little bit more bang for the buck overall and then if it doesn’t, you don’t have to continue with it,” Grifoni said, suggesting a trial. “You can go back to Detroit or go to Indianapolis and throw $250,000 at it and see some return, but this other stuff is unique and worth at least experimenting with for one cycle.”

Under state statutes, tourist development taxes must be used on tourism-related spending, but Commission Chair Chris Hall has joked they can always find a way to show that an idea boosts tourism.

The TDC opted to hold an emergency meeting at 1 p.m. Oct. 23 to polish the presentation to county commissioners Nov. 12. LoCastro offered to work with Tusa, who has until Oct. 30 to add a revised presentation to the commission agenda.

“You’ve got one shot at this and it’s going to be yay or nay,” LoCastro said, adding that if it’s nay, some commissioners will have a “better idea” for using that money elsewhere. “That’s what’s going to happen.”