Record-breaking tourism year
A surge in special event travel and group trips helped Pinellas County tourism leaders generate record tax revenues this spring, fueling local beach recovery efforts. FOX 13’s Briona Arradondo reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -A surge in special event travel and group trips helped Pinellas County tourism leaders generate record tax revenues this spring, fueling local beach recovery efforts
St. Pete tourism growth
Pinellas County collected over $36 million in tourist development taxes this spring as Visit St. Pete-Clearwater set a new tourism record. Tourism leaders reported that 12% of visitors now travel specifically for special events, including sporting competitions like the St. Pete Grand Prix, the Red Bull Cliff Diving Competition, and music festivals. Travel patterns have shifted away from solo couples and immediate families toward larger group trips with friends
“The immediate family has always been our bread and butter for our leisure traveler here in St. Pete Clearwater, and we haven’t seen that dip necessarily. We’ve just seen an increase in folks coming within those larger groups,” said Brian Lowack, the president and CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater
Visitors are also opting for shorter stays while exploring surrounding area towns like Safety Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Gulfport, and Madeira. Tax revenues from tourism continue to fund local community projects, including a recent major beach nourishment effort
Across Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County set hotel revenue records in April and May. High-profile events such as three sold-out BTS concerts at Raymond James Stadium, the Premier League Fan Festival, and the Breakaway Music Festival drove significant spending for local hospitality and dining businesses
What we don’t know:
Tourism officials have not yet released June revenue numbers for Visit Tampa Bay. It remains unconfirmed how total summer visitor totals will compare to spring performance
Tampa Bay event lineup
What’s next:
Visit Tampa Bay expects to receive its June financial data within the next week or two. Meanwhile, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater is preparing for next spring when it hosts the Ocean Race, a worldwide sailing competition arriving in May 2027
Thea Arradondo, who interviewed Visit St. Pete-Clearwater President and CEO Brian Lowack and tourists in St. Petersburg, as well as information gathered from Visit Tampa Bay
Pinellas CountyTourism
