Cultural Tourism is travel directed towards visitors experiencing the arts, heritage, history, cuisine, architecture and natural environment that contributes to the special character of a place. The Florida Keys Council of the Arts administers the Cultural Umbrella on behalf of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, recommending funding for tourism related cultural activities, events and marketing.
How the Cultural Umbrella came to be
In the 1980s the citizens of Monroe County passed referendums authorizing a three cent tax on tourist lodging, the bed tax, to be used for tourist advertising, promotion and some tourist related capital projects. The Monroe County Tax Collector publishes the tourist development tax today as 5 percent of the total rental amount on stays of six months or less. The Board of County Commissioners created the Tourist Development Council to recommend and administer those expenditures.
The Tourist Development Council is an advisory committee to the Board of County Commissioners, which gives final approval to all of its actions. Its advisory board of directors is appointed by the Commissioners, and the county publishes the current roster. The County Clerk is the custodian of the funds and writes and signs the checks, which are co-signed by the County Mayor.
To serve the different communities of the Keys, five District Advisory Committees were created, from Key West to Key Largo.
- I Key West
- II The Lower Keys
- III Marathon
- IV Islamorada
- V Key Largo
To serve three Keys wide industries, three umbrellas were created: Diving, Fishing and Cultural. Today the county lists a Dive and Ecotourism Advisory Committee and a Fishing Advisory Committee, and the Cultural Umbrella keeps its name. District Advisory Committees and umbrellas are unique to Monroe County.
The District Advisory Committees recommend expenditures for about one third of the revenue. That share is divided among the districts according to the percentage of revenue collected in each district.
Florida statute allows bed tax money to be spent on administration, advertising, promotion and some tourist related capital projects and maintenance. The statute has been interpreted more narrowly in Monroe County than in other Florida counties.
The county first contracted the Key West Art and Historical Society to administer the Cultural Umbrella funds, and later the Florida Keys Federation of Chambers. The Florida Keys Council of the Arts was recognized as the appropriate organization to administer the Cultural Umbrella and asked for the job. By resolution, the Board of County Commissioners turned it over to the Arts Council as of January 1, 2002.
The District Advisory Committees and the umbrellas each have Recommendation Committees that review the applications and recommend which ones are funded. The Arts Council makes recommendations to both the TDC Board of Directors and the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners. Almost always, the Tourist Development Council and the Commissioners approve the recommendations sent to them.
The Cultural Umbrella Committee is the advisory committee that reviews Cultural Umbrella applications, and it is separate from the Council's Board of Directors. The Council administers the program and lists the committee's members on the Committees page, and meeting dates are posted on the Meetings page. Committee meetings are open to the public.
Applications are scored against the goals of the Tourist Development Council: visitors in the off season, enhancement of the visitor experience, local support, and showcasing the destination. Successful applicants are reimbursed for approved expenditures.
This account follows an overview written by Shirley Freeman, Chairman of the Arts Council Committee on the Cultural Umbrella, September 2009, which is also the source of the district names. The tourist development tax rate is published by the Monroe County Tax Collector. The Tourist Development Council's advisory board and its advisory committees were checked against Monroe County's own published pages.
Fiscal year 2027
Cultural Umbrella funding supports the advertising, promotion and marketing of cultural events across Monroe County. Fiscal year 2027 runs from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. These figures are updated each October 1, at the start of the new fiscal year.
Fiscal year 2027 allocation
$1,500,000 Cultural Umbrella total
Event funding across the Keys
The $975,000 for events is divided among the five District Advisory Committees, according to the percentage of revenue collected in each district.
Allocation figures are from the Council's Cultural Umbrella Budget for fiscal year 2027. District names follow the Council's September 2009 overview of the Cultural Umbrella.
Application and guidelines
Cultural Events are defined by a specific quality that encourages audience attendance due to its limited engagement and/or is in addition to regular program activities.
The application, cover letter, guidelines and allowable expenditures for the coming cycle are published here each year, along with the score sheet the Recommendation Committees use.
The application and guidelines will be posted February 1.
The Council holds free grant application workshops, open to the public, and the dates are posted on the Meetings page.
Culture magazine calls
Two annual calls for the CULTURE magazine open on February 1.
- Call for visual artists Opens February 1
- Call for articles Opens February 1
Both calls are posted here when they open. For details, contact the Council at info@keysarts.com or 305-295-4369.
Monroe County Tourist Development Council
“The mission of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council is to manage Monroe County's tourism marketing efforts to ensure long-term economic stability through visitor-related revenues.”