Tourism & Business
Tourism: Bay County’s #1 Industry
$3.1B in direct visitor spending annually
35,000+ local jobs supported by tourism
19.2 million visitor nights per year
Tourist Development Tax supports:
• Beach cleaning & renourishment
• Marketing campaigns
• Major local events
Our Amazing Tourism Partners: Visit Panama City Beach, Destination Panama City, Mexico Beach CDC
Where Business Meets the Beach
Economic Development: Build Your Business Here
Bay EDA: Your go-to for site selection, permitting, and incentive assistance
Visit BayEDA.com | (850) 215-9965
Target Sectors:
• Aerospace & Aviation
• Tech & Innovation
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Logistics & Distribution
Why Bay County?
• Deep-water port + international airport
• Thousands of acres ready for development
• Tier-One research university partnerships
• No state income tax
Workforce Development
CareerSource Gulf Coast: Job seeker & employer services
Workforce training and career development
Visit CareerSourceGC.com | (850) 872-4340
Infrastructure That Works for You
Transportation Highlights:
• U.S. Highways 98, 231 + Florida Routes 20, 22, 77, 79
• Near I-10 with connections to 9 major interstates
• Bay Line Railroad: Access to CSX & Norfolk Southern
• Port Panama City: Deep-water, FTZ status, expanding forest products terminal
• VentureCrossings Enterprise Center: Pad-ready sites and developable land near the airport // Ideal for logistics, manufacturing, and tech
Military Strength = Economic Strength
Naval Support Activity Panama City
• 4,000+ employees
• Home to Navy diving and undersea warfare training
Tyndall Air Force Base
• 6,400+ employed
• Rebuilding and evolving as a next-gen F-35 base
Coast Guard Station Panama City
• Vital search and rescue & maritime law enforcement operations
• Covers 168 miles of coastline and 50 miles offshore