Gov. Rick Scott is touting the state’s tourism industry today, which is on a record pace based on figures from the state’s tourism marketing entity.

Visit Florida said 24 million tourists visited the state in the second quarter, a 3 percent increase from last year, according to the Sunshine State News Service.

It’s a good year for the tourist trade in Escambia County, too, according to county documents.

Tourist Development Tax collections data for the June 2014 returns show $1,309,510.27 was collected in June.

This is a 3.79 percent increase over the June 2013 returns.

Total collections year-to-date are 4.50 percent more than the comparable time frame in fiscal year 2013, according to documents prepared for the Escambia County Commissioners Aug. 21 meeting.

In 2013, $7,454,173.93 in bed tax was collected in Escambia County. Santa Rosa County collected, $1,226,856.52 in bed taxes in 2013, according to data for The University of West Florida’s Office of Economic Development and Engagement.

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