What’s to like about Jacksonville?
New website aimed at residents to spread the good word
One of the city’s most enthusiastic newcomers is eager to share his excitement about Jacksonville with everyone. So Paul Astleford, the new president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville, along with Patty Jimenez, Communications Manager, recently rolled out a new campaign that introduces Jacksonville to its residents.
Quantities of informational coasters were hand delivered to more than 100 restaurants, bars and hotels, introducing a new website and encouraging them to spread the word.
According to Jimenez, www.OnlyInJAX.com, is a place where local residents and businesses can go to find out what makes Jacksonville so unique, use that information to attract new clients, new visitors, and be informed as to what is going on in Jacksonville.
“We want locals to be ambassadors for the city and help us spread the message to the rest of the world that Jacksonville is a unique, vibrant and eclectic destination,” Jimenez said. “To do that we need to be sure that they know what makes Jacksonville a unique, vibrant and eclectic city.”
The website has information on the history of the city, what products are made here, where to get the best drink, what recognitions the city has received from magazines and studies, what parks are the best ones…the list of great information in OnlyInJax.com is really extensive, according to Jimenez.
It wasn’t hard for Astleford to be persuaded to move from Columbus, OH back in January. “Experiencing Jacksonville for the first time in March of 2012, my wife and I fell in love with what she called Florida’s natural water wonderland and felt that we could both live here the rest of our lives,” said the Epping Forest resident. He shared that he was figuratively scratching his head about how a destination like Jacksonville had so little image presence in the national or global marketplace. “Add to that my love for a challenge and to see the potential that Jacksonville holds and to feel that its leaders were poised and intent to transform its image and project it to the world, how could I not accept the invitation to participate in that collaborative community mission?”
Visit Jacksonville’s 2011 visitation report showed that the city welcomed 3.6 million overnight visitors. Each visitor saves Duval County residents $463 in taxes each year, making tourism an important industry and economic engine in the area. Visitor spending supports nearly 43,000 Duval County jobs – that’s 11 percent of the local workforce.
Astleford, who attended every JAX2025 workshop, is ready to be part of the city’s future. “The sense that I – and Visit Jacksonville – can play a role in the economic and cultural transformation of our community in a way that will create a new level of prosperity and quality of life for all who are blessed to live in this wonderful place on earth,” he concluded.
By Kate A. Hallock
Resident Community News
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