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A Letter From President/CEO Brian Lowack
St. Pete-Clearwater is ready for a sizzling summer season! We are thrilled to welcome sun-seekers and beach lovers, along with their furry companions! A long-time special place in the hearts of beach lovers, our destination’s reputation as the ultimate dog-friendly destination remains top-of-mind. In fact, The Dog Bar in St. Pete and Fort De Soto Park, respectively, were recently nominated by USA Today for the Best Dog Bar, and the Best Dog-Friendly Beach in the nation. And, very important to mention Honeymoon Island State Park, crowned the Best Dog Hangout at this year’s Besties Awards.
As the dog days of summer descend upon us, access to our slice of paradise continues to get easier than ever. Starting today, Aeromexico begins its daily service from Mexico City into the Tampa Bay area through Tampa International Airport (TPA). This is a major leap forward into a growing list of carriers, making St. Pete-Clearwater an increasingly accessible destination for international visitors.
Additionally, Allegiant Airlines recently started three new nonstop routes into St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) from Bismarck, ND; Evansville, Ind.; and McAllen, Texas. This means even more options are available for travelers from the Midwest and Southern U.S. looking to enjoy our sunshine-filled destination.
And, finally, I'm proud to report we had a great trip to Philadelphia last weekend where we activated and hosted clients at both Subaru Park, home to the Philadelphia Union soccer club, and Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. I'm excited for our next activation and client event in Toronto, where I look forward to sharing the story of our beautiful destination with future Canadian travelers and members of the media!
Exciting adventures always await in St. Pete-Clearwater, and we are ready to welcome everyone with open arms (and paws!).
Hubbard's Marina Reels in Third Consecutive USA Today Best Fishing Charter Award!
Hubbard's Marina, the esteemed family-owned boating operation, has hooked yet another prestigious award – their third consecutive win for USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Best Fishing Charter in the Country! This remarkable achievement solidifies Hubbard's Marina as a national leader in exceptional fishing experiences.
Get Up & Go's Clear Kayak Tour in Shell Key Preserve, Tierra Verde, Fla., ranked #9 in the US for Tripadvisor's Best of the Best Things to Do for 2024! The distinction is part of the Traveler's Choice Awards which, under the Best of the Best category, celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel through a full year worth of outstanding reviews and opinions.
Vote for St. Pete/Clearwater!
Prevue's 2024 Visionary Awards nominated the St. Pete-Clearwater area in the "Best U.S. Destination for Meetings & Conventions - Small" category.
Voting is now open and is available through August 25.
The Visionary Awards by Prevue Meetings & Incentives magazine award the commitment to providing exceptional service and unforgettable experiences for our valued guests and clients.
Dunedin, Fla. has become the backdrop in another locally produced feature film, Valentine's Town (2024). The charming sidewalks of Main Street and umbrella installation on Douglas Ave made it into this uplifting Valentine's themed rom-com staring Johnathan Stoddard and Lindsey Dresbach. Local businesses also got involved and were featured as locations throughout the film, including the Wild Iris Café, Sonders Social Club, and The Black Pearl restaurant.
This production was a remarkable joint effort by the City of Dunedin, local crew members and the supportive local community. The film is available to stream on VUDU, Fandango, and Amazon Prime.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, in partnership with Visit Tampa Bay, hosted the Aeromexico Flight Launch Mission in Mexico City from June 11-13, 2024. VSPC provided training for Aeromexico's American Express clients and Aeromexico Vacations clients, with the support of Aeromexico's trade account manager, Elisa Herrera Diaz.
The mission included strategic meetings with Viajes Palacio, a key luxury travel company, to develop training programs and create specialized travel packages. Notably, Aeromexico accounts for 40% of Viajes Palacio's airfare bookings.
In addition to these efforts, VSPC engaged with trade media partners to communicate additional trade trainings and conducted meetings with Despegar, a leading online travel agency, and PeTra Operator to further strengthen our partnerships and explore new opportunities.
Aeromexico's new nonstop route from Mexico City to Tampa International Airport begins its service today, July 1.
The Leisure Travel Department hosted a UK Trade FAM June 19 - 23. Participants included sales staff from TUI, Ocean Florida, USAirtours, Flight Centre and Barrhead Travel in Scotland. The group traveled to St. Pete-Clearwater on the non-stop Virgin Atlantic flight and stayed at the Postcard Inn as well as the Wyndham Grand to experience two different beach communities. The action-packed itinerary included museum visits, a tour of Clearwater Marine Aquarium, hotel site inspections, dinner cruise, dolphin watch tour, some beach time, and MORE! The group even joined Visit St. Pete-Clearwater staff and participated in the St. Pete Pride Parade! Thank you industry partners for your support of this important educational visit to our destination.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater recently executed a successful integrated campaign in the U.K. with Family Traveller and Brand USA. Consisting of three digital content pieces, an interactive destination quiz, a holiday competition, a print advertorial, banners and a solus email, the initiative amassed 22,774 competition entries as well as 18,612 email sign ups, delivering more than 1.25 million impressions.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater hosted 26 Minnesota-based clients at the Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins game in Minneapolis on June 19. Thank you to the Sheraton Sand Key, The Don Cesar, and the Hyatt Place Downtown St. Petersburg for participating in the initiative.
The TradeWinds Island Resort and Visit St. Pete-Clearwater attended Cvent CONNECT, an annual summit for event professionals, marketers, and hospitality experts. This year's tradeshow, which took place in San Antonio, Texas from June 10 - 13, generated 13 leads that could translate into a projected total of 4405 room nights in Pinellas County for 2025 and 2026.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater will be set up at FSAE’s Annual Conference in Orlando, July 17th - 19th. FSAE (Florida Society of Association Executives) brings together Florida association meeting planners and groups organizers from all over the state to one event. More than 350 attendees are registered for 2024.
The Florida State USBC Women’s Championship was held at Seminole Lanes May 18-19, 25-26, and June 1-2. Based on organizer projections, the event drew more than 3,000 participants and contributed $4.5 million in direct spending to Pinellas County. The Florida State USBC Open Championship will be held at Dunedin Lanes and Seminole Lanes over eight consecutive weekends, starting May 3, 2025.
Prospect Select Baseball recently hosted the Florida World Series from May 31 through June 2, 2024, at the Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex in Dunedin and Baseball City in St. Petersburg. This prestigious event featured 30 elite teams across the 15U, 16U, and 17U divisions, offering a 4-game guarantee and requiring wood bats. The tournament was enjoyed by 1,584 attendees, generated 547 room nights and attracted numerous college/professional scouts, providing players with invaluable exposure.
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