October 31, 2023
The arts are an essential part of the soul of our community and play a critical role in making Fort Lauderdale a top destination to live, work, and visit. Thanks to a recent study by Americans for the Arts, we can now quantify the economic and social impact of arts and culture on our city.
Citywide Economic Impact
Spending by Fort Lauderdale’s arts and culture organizations and their audiences totaled $288.7 million during 2022.
$103 million of direct spending by arts and culture organizations.
$185.7 million in event-related spending by their audiences.
$200 million in additional household income for locals.
Tourism Impact
Notably, out-of-town visitors spend 48% more than locals on items beyond the price of a ticket.
Fort Lauderdale arts organizations have significant potential to reach more visitors given that the number of downtown hotel rooms has tripled over the last 5 years. This means that arts and culture related tourism is a major growth opportunity for DowntownFTL with only about 30% arts attendees coming from outside of Broward County.
Social and Community Impact
The arts build community and help inspire a sense of civic pride in Fort Lauderdale. Patrons surveyed at local venues believe arts and culture are central to the quality of life in our city.
86.5% agree that the arts create a sense of community pride.
80.4% agree that that arts and culture venues “an important pillar for me within my community.”
64.5% of local attendees “would have traveled to a different community” to attend a similar event if not for our Fort Lauderdale arts institutions.
Arts volunteers donated a total of 263,401 hours to support Fort Lauderdale institutions.
Why This Matters
According to Americans for the Arts, “if a community fails to provide a variety of opportunities to experience the arts and culture, it risks not attracting cultural tourists and their valuable dollars as well as losing the discretionary spending of its own residents who will travel elsewhere in search of the diverse artistic expressions and authentic cultural experiences they seek.”