Citrus County, Florida

5 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 HELP I NG BR I NG COMMUN I T I E S AL I VE I N MA J OR U . S . MARKET S Integrity , respect and collaboration are the building blocks behind Aimco’s multifamily developments that help transform communities. due to the warm water temperatures that are maintained throughout the winter months. The manatees – and the landscape – make Citrus County a prime place for ecotourism. About 20 percent of the county’s winter business comes from international tourists coming to see the manatees. “Our activities are mostly nature- based, and swimming with the manatees would be top, for sure,” says Saunders. “We’re one of the only places in the world where you can actually be in the water with the manatees in their own environment.” The area’s second biggest tourist season is in the summertime, when boats take visitors out into the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico to dive into the seagrass bed to search for scallops. “It’s an amazing experience that draws families and other folks in year after year,” Saunders says. “The scallops draw in people from the region, from Alabama, Georgia, and, of course, Florida. That’s usually most people’s first introduction to Citrus