Visit Tampa Bay is celebrating 30 Years

President and Ceo of Visit Tampa Bay, Santiago Corrada said: "As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we would like to thank our 700 partners for making the Tampa Bay area the burgeoning destination it is today. We have made large strides in the last 30 years, and we have a lot to celebrate, including that, we had another record-setting year. We would especially like to thank the newest members of our Board of Directors and Advisory Board for their contributions to our organization and its sustained success, as well as those that had the vision to establish our organization 30 years ago. "

Tampa Bay Tourism Sets New Revenue Benchmark in FY15
Visit Tampa Bay set a historic, new benchmark for tourism revenue in Hillsborough County, generating more than $26.8 million during Fiscal Year 2015, which ended Sept. 30. Every dollar in bed-tax revenue represents thousands of jobs and billions of dollars added to the local economy.
This record revenue also shows the growing popularity of Tampa Bay as both a destination for meetings and as a brand in the leisure tourism industry. We expect these numbersto increase even more in FY16 with new nonstop flights from Germany via Lufthansa and expanding interest in our culinary and craft beer scene.
Numbers for FY15 show average hotel occupancy at 72 percent for the year (up from 68.6 percent for FY14) and total hotel revenues at more than $586 million (up 12 percent from FY14), according to figures from industry analyst STR Inc. RevPAR – the industry’s measure of profitability – grew about 15 percent year over year.

Tampa Bay tourism kicks off FY2016 with new record for October
After ending Fiscal Year 2015 with a record-high bed-tax collection, Visit Tampa Bay and Hillsborough County kicked off their 2016 tourism year with another record.
The county recorded more than $1.8 million in Tourist Development Tax revenue in October, based on hotel room sales in September. That figure is 13.2 percent higher than the $1.6 million posted the previous October, which was itself a new record for the month.
Tampa Bay has never been stronger as a travel destination. These revenue figures show that travelers from all over are discovering the treasures that make Tampa Bay one of the best big cities in the country.

Florida’s Most Campaign
Visit Tampa Bay launched the most ambitious marketing campaign in its history on Nov. 1, targeting travelers in major cities in the Midwest, Northeast and Texas, along with Canada, England and Germany.
The $1.7 million “Florida’s Most” campaign lays claim to Tampa Bay’s bragging rights as the place that combines all the greatest Florida experiences in a single destination.
Visitors come to the state looking for lots of different things – thrill rides, outdoor recreation, exciting history, creative cuisine, Cuban culture and craft beer. They find them all here in Tampa Bay. On top of that, our unique set of attractions – including the Tampa Riverwalk and Gasparilla Season – guarantees that visitors go home with memories they can’t make anywhere else.”
Across the board, the “Florida’s Most” campaign will mix digital advertising, cable TV, billboards, print ads and radio.

In a major departure from previous marketing campaigns, “Florida’s Most ...” will run through September, shifting Visit Tampa Bay’s efforts away from a seasonal, fragmented approach to a consistent, year-round message that places all the destination’s assets under a single umbrella. An in-state campaign during the summer will focus on visitors from across Florida, with a focus on Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami areas.

More information:
www.visittampabay