Pasco County hopes European nudists will provide tourism boost

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. - Pasco County is home to hundreds, maybe even thousands of nudists, or naturist as many prefer.

There are six different resorts and more than a dozen communities where the dress code is au naturel.

So many live life without clothes In Pasco County there is a group called Panda-Bare, to help promote the lifestyle.

"Within Pasco County we have the largest concentration of residential naturists in the world," said Panda-Bare President Paul Brenot.

Brenot and his group are working with the county to develop a marketing campaign. Their goal is to bring European nudists here during the normally slow summer months. They are calling it the Eurobird season.

"We will be focusing on France, Germany, Netherlands, and Britain. There are over 19 million practicing nudists in there. So heck if we just garner a hundredths of one percent, that's a lot of tourism coming in," said Brenot.

Pasco County commissioners say the nudists have been good citizens. And and while this lifestyle isn't for everyone, the commission is considering a $4,000 grant to pay for ads touting the area as a tourist destination for those who like to let it all hang out.

"We are reaching out. Tourism is economic development, so I think it can be a good idea," said commissioner Pat Mulieri.

Brenot says he thinks this is the first time that a group of nudists have ever gotten a public grant to help promote tourism. It's expected to be approved at Tuesday's county commission meeting.