The worldwide clothing-optional market has tripled in just over ten years and a small area in Florida wants “baring all” to get even bigger.
In Pasco County in Central Florida, nudism is no longer just a rustic retreat with ping pong tables and volleyball nets.
Visitors can now find flashy facilities, lavish homes and even such touches as medical spas offering laser hair removal.
“Pasco is becoming the Mecca of North American nudism,” a nude resident, Richard Mason, told the Associated Press. He compared the new style nudist resorts to country clubs.
Pasco has six nudist resorts, some of which charge $300 a night for Mediterranean-themed waterfront villas that have expensive pools with waterfall grottoes.
The American Association of Nude Recreation estimates it is a $400 million a year business, up from $120 million in 1992.
There are about 270 clubs, resorts and campgrounds in the US offering nudity.
The six resorts in Pasco County are along a six-mile stretch of land about 20 miles south of Tampa.
Report by David Wilkening
