Flickr user daviddmuir

Updates below.

The Island Packet is running a two-part series over the weekend focussed on the ongoing debate over how much money should be distributed to agencies that market tourism and how much money they should get.

The debate over the accommodations tax distribution has been going on for years, but really seems to have heightened this year. 

You can check out Part 1 of the Packet series here that ponders the premise of marketing dollars. Running along with that is a primer on where the dollars come from and where they go.

Update November 14: Part 2 is out and ponders how well marketing dollars and converted to tourist dollars and cites a Myrtle Beach example; take a read here. There's also a sidebar that discusses where dollars are spent.

It's perhaps worth pointing out the obvious: There's no real right answer here and that both pieces are worth reads not for any ability to jolt us towards the right conclusion but to simply give you a more informed opinion. 

• Stay up to date on tourism issues over on our tourism topic page.