Florida town seeks nudist vacationers from Europe

ORLANDO, Fla (Reuters) - A west Florida community is spending $3,800 in tax dollars to entice naked Germans to spend their summer vacations there.

The advertising grant was awarded Tuesday by the Pasco County commission to Pandabare, a local nudist organization representing 16 resorts, campgrounds and clubs located in the largely rural county north of Tampa.

The ads, to be placed in European publications, will promote the county's longstanding reputation as the nudist capital of America.

"The idea is to create a Euro-bird season in July and August which are our worst two months of the year," said Eric Keaton, public communications manager for the Pasco County tourist development agency. Keaton said nudism contributes to the county's economy, but he had no figures to quantify its impact.

The first target market for the ad campaign will be Germany which, according to Pandabare's application, is "a large and lucrative market whose millions of nudists are among the world's most prolific travelers." The group also anticipates a campaign aimed at British nudists.

Keaton said the advertisements, set to launch in 2012, remain in the conceptual stage.

"They are very clean, and somewhat funny," he said.

(Reporting by Barbara Liston; Editing by Greg McCune)