FLORIDA’S MOST

Devoted to beautiful Tampa Bay, Florida, recent home to the Super Bowl, PGA tournaments and WrestleMania. Graham McKenzie talks with President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay & Neil Callaghan of El Lector, Cigar City Brewing - let's talk craft beer and dining that is exclusive to Tampa Bay, and don't forget nearby St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, Florida - home of the recently rated number one beach in America. [embed]https://youtu.be/eUX9XZwMAlo[/embed]

  First Comprehensive Downtown Pass Embraced by Attractions     Visit Tampa Bay today launched the Riverwalk Attraction Pass, a new program connecting the gems of the Tampa Riverwalk in one ticket offering discounts to users and raising the profile of Tampa’s downtown attractions.   Similar to the very successful CityPASS program, which includes some of Tampa Bay’s largest attractions on one inclusive ticket for a discounted price, the Riverwalk Attraction Pass brings together many attractions but also enables museums and centers that would have been traditionally excluded to be part of a holistic program.  Continuing its evolution into destination management and expanding economic development opportunities, Visit Tampa Bay worked closely with Bandwango and its mobile-friendly technology to introduce the downtown ticket, which has been a long-term goal for many locations and the destination marketing organization.   Initial attractions on the Riverwalk Pass are the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, the Henry B. Plant Museum, The Florida Aquarium, Glazer Children’s Museum, Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa Bay History Center, and the Pirate Water Taxi.   “The Riverwalk Attraction Pass is a great one-stop-shop for visitors and locals to experience our incredible gems along the Hillsborough riverfront,” says Santiago C. Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “This pass not only gives consumers a chance to discover the treasures of the Tampa Riverwalk but it also continues to boost economic impact for our destination.”   According to Billy Somerville, Director of Marketing and Communications of the Tampa Bay History Center, “for us, the Riverwalk Pass provides an opportunity to reach thousands of new visitors eager to experience everything Tampa Bay has to offer. We are delighted to be part of the Riverwalk Pass and thank Visit Tampa Bay for the considerable time and effort they dedicated to this unique program."   "Visit Tampa Bay's mission of connecting visitors to their community is perfectly aligned with Bandwango's goal of driving people through the doors of local businesses and attractions," Mo Parikh, CEO of Bandwango, said. "We're thrilled to be partnered with an organization that continues to put their visitor experience at the forefront of their mission."   Users will access a mobile landing page to purchase the Riverwalk Attraction Pass. After providing their information and receiving a link to their pass, users can add the pass to their home screen on their mobile devices to access anytime. There is never anything to download and no bulky apps taking up space on a user’s phone. Once at the desired attraction, their pass is scanned for admission.   The Riverwalk Attraction Pass is available for purchase at VisitTampaBay.com/Riverwalk-Pass.   The Riverwalk Attractions Pass logo and high-res images of participating attractions can be found HERE.

Visit Tampa Bay continues setting benchmarks in tourist development fund collections announcing a record high for December with $3.78 million for the month. The results, which are based on November hotel stays and supported by industry analyst STR Inc., represent a 25.3% increase over the previous record for December collections, which was set in 2019. Taxable hotel revenues collected by the county for the month of November totaled $63.9 million. Hillsborough County is tied for first in its competitive set for hotel occupancy. "It's an exciting time for Visit Tampa Bay as we continue setting new benchmarks in collections and hotel revenue.  December has become the beginning of Tampa Bay's peak visitation months with hotel revenue more than doubling last year," said Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. Tourist Development funds collected during the first three months of Visit Tampa Bay's current fiscal year total $10.9 million, a 22.5% increase over the same three-month period the previous year. Both monthly and fiscal year-to-date collected amounts are records for their respective periods. "The momentum into the new year continues to grow with annual events like the Outback Bowl, Gasparilla season, and large conventions including Florida Huddle and Florida Encounter," Corrada said. "Our out-of-area advertising campaigns are also now in full swing in the Northeast, Midwest and UK markets." Tampa Bay is poised for a fruitful year ahead as it welcomes back international visitors, transient business travellers, increased convention business, and new product offerings including hotels, restaurants and attractions.  

Following on the success of two award-winning, self-published books, Visit Tampa Bay now launches it's first-ever hardcover book of photographs inspired by its photogenic destination, just in time for the holidays. Its sun-speckled pages are brimming with the destination's culinary treasures, cultural history, architecture, natural landscapes and attractions. Readers can dive into the history of Ybor City's cigar culture, and the destination's unique culinary offerings. "This book is our love letter to Tampa Bay and we hope it inspires travellers and residents alike to admire our destination the way we always have," says Santiago C. Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. "Our hope with this photographic journey, as with our prior two books, is to ignite meaningful conversations about our destination and to continue inspiring the world to love Tampa Bay." The book is available for sale exclusively at the Unlock Tampa Bay Visitors Center for $44.95 or at Visit Tampa Bay's online store: shop.visittampabay.com. View photos of the book

Port Tampa Bay is back on the cruise map. Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas docked at Cruise Terminal 6 at the weekend, marking the first cruise departure for 18 months. Serenade of the Seas is sailing to the Bahamas with 50% capacity and all adult guests fully vaccinated. Several other cruise lines are due to sail again from Tampa Bay in November and December, including Celebrity Crruises, Carnival Cruise Line and NCL.   Read full story

Visit Tampa Bay announced hotel occupancy in August averaged 62.4%, just marginally below the pre-pandemic level for August 2019. The latest report, commissioned by STR Inc., also shows ADR at $114.77, a 7.3% increase compared to 2019, and RevPAR was $71.57, which a slight 1.4% decrease compared to 2019. The monthly occupancy report comes after another taxable hotel revenue record in July totaling $69 million, a significant 26% increase over the same period in 2019. This brought taxable hotel revenue for the first 11 months of the fiscal year to $559 million. "As our fiscal year nears its close, it's important to remember that tourism is more than occupancy and revenue numbers, it's about lifting our communities up and supporting the livelihoods that make Tampa Bay Florida's most treasured destination," says Santiago C. Corrada. "I'm proud to see how the ripple effects of tourism reach every corner of our county's economy and even more proud of the standard Tampa Bay sets for the entire tourism industry as a whole." Tourist development collections reflecting July also set another milestone, accomplishing its first $4 million month in August and beating the previous record by 58.66% set in 2019. Contributing to its increase is the change in tourism development tax, which shifted from 5% to 6% in 2020. This brings the first eleven months of the fiscal year to $33 million. Visit Tampa Bay is a not-for-profit corporation certified by Destinations International's Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP).

  On the heels of being named Florida's number 1 city, Visit Tampa Bay (VTB) is launching its biggest-ever summer campaign. Visit Tampa Bay's established 'Florida's Most' branding is the focus of the campaign, which targets travelers looking for adventure, culture, and wide-open spaces. Ads will air on premium video and on-demand content, radio, out-of-home, gas station TVs and digital content platforms. The $3-million brand awareness campaign will target all feeder markets for the first time for the summer season in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Myers, Philadelphia, New York City, Orlando, Washington, D.C. and Miami, which will run in Spanish. An additional 5% is budgeted to target the multicultural market in Atlanta and Miami via radio, print and digital channels amongst black and Latino audiences. It is targeting 32 million impressions by completion. "As pent-up travel desire increases, our aggressive marketing strategies will help keep our momentum going as we strive to achieve strong summer visitation," said Santiago C. Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. It also comprises the 'Unlock Your Inner Pirate' digital campaign, which pushes vacation themes ranging from girlfriend getaways to adventurous seekers. The 75-day campaign will first launch in Philadelphia, Orlando, Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Boston.