OCALA, Fl (352today.com) – A large crowd turned out Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to listen to the Ocala/Marion County Visitors & Convention Bureau‘s tourism meeting. This year’s theme was “The Tourism Express,” and the event was hosted by the World Equestrian Center at Exposition Center No. 2.
“We truly appreciate your time and your commitment to making Ocala and Marion County such a special destination,” said Mason Jordan, World Equestrian Center senior director of technology. “I want to acknowledge the strong partnership between WEC and Ocala and Marion County tourism. This property values the community support immensely. It makes everything we do possible.”
Jordan and Marion County Commission Chair Carl Zalak, III, filmed an episode of “The Insider’s Guide” at WEC, a behind-the-scenes tour where they walked through some of the most popular aspects of the property.
Ocala and Marion County offer so many opportunities for recreation and business. Tourism continues to be one of the county’s largest and most important economic drivers, offering a diversity of options allowing the county to thrive.
“We love Marion County because Marion County loves us,” said Michelle Stone, Marion County commissioner, district No. 5. “I think anyone who visits Marion County is going to find that we truly are a home away from home.”
Reaching one’s destination
The meeting shared the true heartbeat of tourism’s impact–not just the economic numbers, but also the compelling narratives that shape Ocala and Marion County’s quality of life. The Tourism Express took the attendees on a sojourn through what makes the area unique and why visitors find the place so appealing.
“A train is only as successful as its passengers,” said Loretta Shaffer, Ocala/Marion County Visitors & Convention Bureau’s tourism development director. “Keep in mind, the passengers on the Tourism Express are not just our 1.3 million visitors, they are also our dedicated hospitality teams, our innovative and thriving business community, and most critically our residents. Together we ride this train and together we all thrive. The engine that drives the Tourism Express, the power source for everything we do is focused on one central goal, delivering prosperity to our community. This is just not an aspiration. It’s an advocacy mission that we commit to and strive to deliver and accomplish every day.”
Collective well-being
The first essential stop on the track to prosperity was local jobs. This is the station where the Tourism Express transforms into tangible human impact, said Shaffer.
“We’re not just reporting revenue, we’re building careers, stability and opportunity for families and future generations,” said Shaffer. “With every visitor boarding, our engine creates a demand for goods and services that translates into stable local employment. Our hotel staffs, restaurant servers, retail associates, business owners, these are our neighbors, our friends and the heartbeat that showcases our county’s culture, being warm, friendly and welcoming.”
Hospitality careers will continue to be a critical part of Ocala/Marion County’s future, and understanding the importance of succession planning takes on greater gravitas, said Schaffer.
“We are immensely proud and thankful to the College of Central Florida for meeting the huge demand that is being created by Florida’s booming tourism industry,” said Shaffer. “This will ensure that we will continue to have skilled workers that will be our future tourism economic engine builders. The newly added hospitality certificates and degree programs that students can now obtain at the College of Central Florida, will absolutely be game changing for our community.”
According to the latest research, tourism in Marion County supports more than 8,600 jobs annually. The multiplier effect of each tourism job supports several other industry sectors, expanding both the overall pool and local economy, said Shaffer.
A tourist’s purpose is to provide a vital stream of revenue that helps businesses thrive and expand all by creating opportunities for the area’s visitors to contribute back to the community base and tax base helping to create additional revenue to provide a better quality of life, said Shaffer.
“We pride ourselves on advocating for local entrepreneurship,” said Shaffer.
Tourism has increased the variety and the diversity of nationally renowned businessman Rasheed Jones’s customer base. Jones is the owner and pitmaster of Big Lee’s Barbecue and a Food Network alumnus.
“I’ve met some incredible people from all around the world because of what’s happening with the travel and tourism here in Ocala,” said Jones. “A lot of people have asked me over the years I’m surprised that you haven’t moved onto a different city and haven’t gone to some other place. But to be able to serve people from any continent or any part of this country, in any given day in my restaurant, it’s actually remarkable. If I was in a different city elsewhere, I don’t know if I would be experiencing things the same way we are right now. Travel and tourism to this specific city, to our specific county, to the entire Ocala metro. It’s remarkable, it’s not only going to impact my business, my dream, it’s going to impact every business and every person’s dream.”
The trappings of success
Visitors spent more than $164 million as a whole, with the total economic impact on the community last year topping $956 million, said Shaffer. The accounting effect of everything Ocala/Marion County delivers–the jobs created, the revenue generated–lands in the community.
“Tourism enhances all of our lives, often in unseen ways,” said Sheffer. “It helps increase and support our amenities, from parks to theaters, it underwrites vibrant community events, and it gives locals fun things to do, every single week. Visitors just don’t pay taxes on lodging, they contribute to our local sales tax, every time they purchase anything while visiting it’s a direct contribution that supports essential community services.”
Last year visitors to Ocala/Marion County supported more than $28.3 million in local taxes, said Shaffer.
The world is beginning to take notice of Marion County, which has firmly taken its place as a global destination. The Ocala/Marion County Visitors & Convention team were recognized with number of awards in 2025. The Tourism Express isn’t slowing down and is laying new tracks for advocacy and innovation, said Shaffer.
The World Equestrian Center was named to Time’s Greatest Places; the Ocala National Forest was named one of the best places in the world to visit by National Geographic, and Florida Aquatic Swimming and Training’s facilities were recognized by the Florida Sports Foundation as the Mid-Sized Sports Tourism Venue of the Year.
Shaffer announced a new advocacy campaign that was made possible by visitors based on one of the county’s most prominent assets: a logo with a horse’s head inside a heart, which communicates the authenticity and beauty of the destination. However, it’s the visitors and convention bureau’s website, ocalamarion.com, that remains the leading engine and is the most critical marketing tool they possess.
“This campaign is the heart of a new plan to empower every resident and business to become a tourism ambassador and to share in our community pride,” said Shaffer.
Visit Florida CEO and President Bryan Griffin and Destination International‘s Vice President of Marketing Lauren Pace were also featured speakers at the event.
By the numbers
- Room hits in paid accommodations, 1,133,799
- Local taxes supported by visitors funding local businesses, $28,378,600
- Total economic impact, $956,450,000
- Local jobs supported by visitors, 8,670
Exceptional setting
A tour of the World Equestrian Center’s forthcoming Equestrian Manor, which is slated to open before the end of the year, followed the meeting. The new addition will expand on what WEC can offer as a host for conferences, weddings and large gatherings. The Equestrian Manor will feature a grand ballroom, multiple flexible meeting spaces and an elevated design detail that will make it a standout venue, said WEC’s Mason Jordan. It will also bring four new restaurants to the property, providing more dining options for their guests and the community, including The Polo Pony and a second, larger location of Emma’s Patisserie.