Company's coming to town – to the tune of 11.3 million visitors annually to the Greater Miami area, and those visitors are a vital part of the Miami-Dade economy. In 2005, the direct economic impact generated by overnight visitors to Miami-Dade County exceeded $13.9 billion. The total direct economic impact for visitor expenditures equals $5,850 for every man, woman, and child in this community. Protecting and enhancing visitors' experience is why the Board of County Commissioners charged the Community Image Advisory Board (CIAB) with the ambitious task of enhancing our roadways and environment, thereby improving our community image in order to continue to attract visitors to Miami-Dade County.

In addition to the overnight visitors to our community, 1.5 million cruise passengers make the trip from Miami International Airport to the Port of Miami, making this particular gateway a priority! This connection is the only taste of Miami a visitor will experience on his/her way to the Caribbean. Ensuring that these visitors enjoy the ambiance, feel safe traveling on our roadways and are able to take pleasure in the beauty of our environment is extremely critical to the sustainability of our tourist industry.

It is equally important to make our streetscapes attractive in order to enhance the quality of life for the residents of Miami-Dade County. Economic vitality and desirability are directly tied to the physical conditions of our community. Miami-Dade County covers over 1,944 square miles with an extensive network of roadways.  Visitors' frequently travel these thoroughfares on transit to popular tourist destinations and residents travel these roadways day after day. The condition in which these corridors are kept can leave a lasting impression on our visitors as well as our residents. The CIAB wants to make certain our gateways highlight the beauty of living in the subtropics for residents and visitors.

Miami-Dade County is a tropical paradise with pristine beaches and picturesque vistas and the CIAB was developed to uphold this image of beauty along our shorelines, within our urban centers and along transportation corridors. It is the goal of the CIAB to offer a breathtaking paradise with lush, thriving landscapes that are welcoming to all.