As reported by The News Herald:
The new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport opens May 23, but the work to bring high-wage jobs to Northwest Florida is just taking off: The airport’s economic impact is still years away, officials said Thursday.
“Transportation, like this airport, does not create economic development; it creates the opportunity for economic growth,” said Ed Nelson, Gulf County Economic Development Alliance executive director. “It’s not automatic; we have to come together as a community to get things done.”
At least 200 people listened to economic experts describe what the new airport could bring to Bay County during an airport conference at Gulf Coast Community College on Friday. In the next 20 years, Northwest Florida could see phenomenal growth in areas such as high-tech industry, commercial and residential mixed-use development, trade and tourism, officials said.
Tourism will feel an immediate impact as “the Southwest Effect” takes off, officials said. An advertising campaign is already in full swing to markets such as Orlando, Nashville and Dallas, said Dana Williams, Southwest Airlines marketing and communications director.
The full story is here.
Categories: Airport Updates | 
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