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A Letter From President/CEO Brian Lowack
As you know, tourism is such an integral part of our community. Never was that more on display than late last month with the approval of the historic partnership between Pinellas County, the City of St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay Rays to construct a new, state-of-the-art ballpark that will serve as the cornerstone for the transformative redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District and a new tourist destination within the community for decades to come. The application of tourist development tax dollars to fund the county portion of the project reflects the impact our robust tourism industry in St. Pete-Clearwater can have, and in this case, contribute to bringing unprecedented economic growth to Pinellas County with a projected annual economic output of more than $465 million.
Speaking of things to celebrate, 727 Day was a resounding success! I am very proud of all our initiatives, but this one is very special because it serves as an opportunity to thank our residents for welcoming our visitors while highlighting the tourism industry as a vital element for our local community. Once again, thank you to all of you, our industry partners, for your participation and for making this year’s 727 Day the best yet.
As you may have seen at last month’s TDC meeting, we are executing a fall campaign in the Northeast and around Florida in which we redefine what the color palette of a fall getaway should be and welcome visitors as they paint new memories, colored with our very own autumn hues, in the St. Pete-Clearwater area. Our fall colors will soon be adorning NYC public transportation. Additionally, today we are rolling out a campaign to the greater Tampa Bay community reminding them that they don’t need to travel far for paradise – America’s Best Beaches are right in their backyard! The goal is to drive increased visitation from our number one market, especially during the Summer and Fall, while also introducing the destination to the more than 200,000 new residents of the Greater Tampa Bay region.
And finally, as we continue to ingrain ourselves further in our key markets, we had a great trip to Toronto creating an opportunity to reinforce our relationship with our Canadian neighbors. We created a special gathering at the Rogers Centre where our Tampa Bay Rays faced the Toronto Blue Jays. While our hometown team handled their business on the field, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater hit a home run by strengthening our relationship with tour operators, airline operators, and members of the local media to promote all the benefit of a getaway to America’s Best Beaches.
“The Power of Reviews & Reputation Management”
A seminar by Tripadvisor
Learn how to manage your business Tripadvisor reviews and reputation to significantly increase your business at this FREE event. When it comes to seeking inspiration on where to go and what to do, travelers/users turn to content and reviews to help make their decisions. Carol Johnson – Sr. Client Principle Partner for Tripadvisor – will provide you with valuable insights and keys to maximize your ratings.
Who should attend: Open to all Pinellas County travel, tourism and hospitality industry partners including accommodations, attractions, restaurants/bars/breweries, spas, retail/shopping, museums, waterborne activities and transportation. Ideal for owners, managers, sales, marketing and social media personnel.
Event has limited capacity. To view the schedule and to RSVP, please click here.
Tee off and celebrate National Golf Month, in St. Pete-Clearwater!
With August being National Golf Month, there’s no better time to “hit the links” and no better place than the courses in Pinellas County. In celebration of the beloved sport, here are some facts and upcoming news about some of our destination’s golf courses.
- Belleair Country Club, established in 1897, is the first golf course in the state of Florida.
- Also located in Belleair, Fla. the Pelican Golf Club is home to LPGA's The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge tournament.
- The Dunedin Golf Club opened in 1927 and was designed by world renowned golf course architect Donald Ross. Now in the midst of a $6.3 million renovation project, the historic golf club is slated to swing back into business in November 2024. Part of the renovation includes The Highland House, a new 15,000-square-foot American Restaurant that will be open for both members and non-members.
- The Copperhead course at the Innisbrook Resort, is home to the prestigious and nationally-recognized PGA TOUR's Valspar Championship.
- Steeped in history and tradition, the Herbert Strong-designed St. Petersburg Country Club opened in 1924 and is a favorite among locals and visitors alike.
- Golf TV show 18 Holes host and PGA gold professional Jimmy Hanlin as well as co-host and LPGA tour player, Natalie Gulbis, conquered the drives and mastered the greens at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Bayou Golf Club in Largo. Broadcasted in two different episodes, the show highlighted several locations throughout the destination, including Frenchy's Rockaway Grill, The Deep End and the JW Marriott Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Pier 60 Park, Vinoy Park, Hollander Hotel, The Dalí Museum, Clearwater Beach and Pier Teaki. Viewers in Michigan, Ohio and Bally Sports Sun can get a glance of the destination through National Golf Month.
Allegiant Airlines announced a new nonstop route at St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE) to and from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV). The new route is scheduled to begin service on Nov. 15, 2024.
Additionally, JetBlue announced two new nonstop routes into Tampa International Airport from Providence, Rhode Island and Cancun, Mexico.
Filmed entirely in Pinellas County, “Outdoor Eats: St. Pete-Clearwater,” highlighted the destination's culinary attributes and various locations, including Brick Street Farms, Wild Child, the Tarpon Springs Farmers Market, the Pinellas Trail, Honeymoon Island State Park, Frenchy's Seafood Market, Vinoy Park, and many others. The feature, which officially aired on July 25, can be watched on Bally Sports South.
Welcome, Greater Tampa Bay Community!
With so many new faces moving to the Tampa Bay area over the last few years, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater is reminding the Greater Tampa Bay community that, while people travel from around the world to experience America’s Best Beaches, for our nearby residents, paradise is within easy reach. Starting this week, locally geared advertisements will begin popping up at gas station pumps, in local malls and around town providing reminders to plan the next beach escape, city escape or small-town respite right here in Pinellas County – just a short drive away for maximum recharging and relaxation.
The huge Greater Tampa Bay region is an important market for Pinellas County and these efforts to market to this community return for the first time since before the pandemic as we encourage visitors to take some time to relax and stretch their legs with an overnight stay at America’s Best Beaches.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater's Brian Lowack and Kylie Diaz presented at the Destinations International Annual Conference, which took place in Tampa from July 13 - 18. In a room full of seasoned and emerging travel industry leaders, VSPC was honored to talk about the importance of showcasing the value of tourism to the Pinellas County community.
The Activations Team has stayed busy this summer! The crew gathered for St. Pete Pride to celebrate our diverse and welcoming community. More than 50 walkers joined the VSPC Jolley Trolley "Float" at the Saturday Parade, then the team engaged thousands of attendees at Sunday's Street Festival.
To wrap up July, the team also treated attendees at the Tampa Bay Ice Cream Festival with free Rays tickets as part of the 727 Day celebration.
The team also created a presence in Philadelphia and Toronto to remind prospective visitors that the St. Pete-Clearwater area is "not just a spring fling" but a year-round welcoming destination.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater’s trip to Toronto was a resounding success! While in-market for an activation during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays, the team engaged with seven strong media outlets, laying the groundwork for a significant presence in the market in 2025.
As a follow up from meetings at IPW 2024, virtual training was provided to more than 60 Latin America Tour Operators and their agents to help educate them and their clients on our destination. Thank you to Ana Fernandez from the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach and Nelly Quiros from the Residence Inn Clearwater Beach for joining us on these virtual presentations, where we were able to address some of the largest and most important travel agencies in Latin America.
We are proud to have hosted in the destination for the first time Patty Leone, a prominent travel content producer and TV host for Jovem Pan News. With 25 years of expertise in tourism and a fixture on popular shows in Brazil, we met Patty during the FESTURIS Trade Show in November 2023 and partnered with her to bring a wealth of social media exposure for our destination in June.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater recently attended the Visit USA Media Marketplace, held in London on June 18. With over 50 journalists in attendance, our VisitSPC representative engaged with some of the UK's top travel and lifestyle media and shared the latest news and tourism updates from the destination.
The Film Commission has seen a wave of production companies interested in capturing the non-stop sun rays of St. Pete-Clearwater this summer. Among those, was St. Pete's very own Tampa Bay Rays who filmed their Rays All Access series on Upham Beach featuring outfielder, Johnny DeLuca, as he talks with the show's host Tricia Walker about the joys of living near the beach. Catch it on Bally Sports and FuboTV.
Additional shows include HGTV's House Hunters, which captured Gulfport's waterfront district and Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation, filmed in Madeira Beach and John's Pass.
And keep an eye out for A&E's brand new show "No House, No Debt," which recently filmed an episode on Pier 60 in Clearwater Beach.
Our Sports and Events team attended the TEAMS Europe conference to discuss and explore numerous opportunities for Pinellas County to serve as a premier host destination. During these meetings, we discussed potential collaborations and reviewed the county's venues, accommodations, and logistical advantages to them. These interactions not only fostered productive discussions but also laid the groundwork for future partnerships that can elevate Pinellas County's profile on the global stage as a preferred destination for a wide array of events.
Request for information
Room Block RFPs for Sporting Events
The Sports Commission is looking to identify accommodation partners that are interested in receiving a Request for Proposal (RFP) for room blocks for future sporting events. Room blocks are usually set up by event organizers primarily for participants and staff, but with the possibility to provide overnight options for attendees. All accommodation partners interested in receiving RFPs from the Sports Commission please fill out this online form.
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