Dear Partners,

Summer is in full swing here in St. Pete-Clearwater, and we're thrilled to continue welcoming visitors to America's Favorite Beaches!

While July marks peak summer for many, for us, at Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, it’s also a time to celebrate and thank our residents during 727 Day. Much more than a day – this year being a weekend – our annual celebration dedicated to the incredible residents who make our destination so special. Thank you to all the partners who contribute to make 727 Day the event that it has become, this year being the biggest ever. Check out the details below. 

Last month, we proudly showcased St. Pete-Clearwater to the world at IPW, the largest trade show organized by U.S. Travel for destinations to showcase their offerings. Taking place in Chicago, the team connected directly with travel professionals, tour operators, and media from around the globe, spreading the word about everything our destination has to offer. Joined by representatives from the Sheraton Sand Key Resort and Bilmar Beach Resort, as well as Commissioner Brian Scott and myself, we brought our patented VisitSPC color and vibrancy to Chicago, generating opportunities for our tourism and hospitality industry.

Looking ahead this month, we will continue to hit key markets with our messaging and promotion. Alongside the team and Commissioner Latvala, we're excited to connect with our Canadian friends at the Toronto Blue Jays game on July 21, when we will host media and travel professionals as well as have an in-market presence and activation - complete with our famous Clearwater Beach sunset - providing a wonderful opportunity to engage with potential Canadian travelers. We will also be in Boston, New York City and Ohio for a variety of touchpoints with meetings contacts, media and prospective visitors.

Thank you for your partnership! We appreciate the collective effort that makes St. Pete-Clearwater a beautiful and special place for visitors and residents alike. 

Our community celebration is back! Thank you to the more than 100 businesses that have signed up to participate in this years 727 Day festivities. We have partnered with the Tampa Bay Times, Clearchannel Outdoor and I Love the Burg to promote the tourism and hospitality community coming together to thank our residents for helping support more than 15 million tourists to our destination each year.

For those wishing to join in the fun, there’s still time to submit your deal.

VisitSPC will be at the Thresher baseball game on Sunday, July 27 and capping off the day with a special drone show at the St. Pete Pier where residents can win prizes, including a limited edition 727 t-shirt specially designed by renowned local artist Chad Mize.

***Spread the word about 727 Day!***
Click here to download a set of graphics and post it on all your social media platforms.

Celebrating our residents is so much better with our partners. Our sincere appreciation goes to the Tampa Bay Times for helping raise awareness of 727 Day.

The 6th Annual Pinellas ROSE Awards will be held on Aug. 28, 2025, at The Sandpearl Resort. The awards are a celebration of the many outstanding hospitality employees in Pinellas County.

This prestigious event honors frontline hospitality professionals who embody the spirit of service excellence in Pinellas County, creating unforgettable experiences for every visitor. Do you work with a hospitality hero who consistently goes above and beyond? Celebrate and recognize their dedication and exceptional service by submitting your nomination.

Nomination deadline - Aug. 5, 2025

Edelweiss has enhanced its service from to Zurich (ZRH) into Tampa International Airport (TPA). In July, this nonstop route will increase from four to five flights a week, offering more flexibility for international visitors to our slice of paradise. Additionally, the airline will introduce the state-of-the-art Airbus A350 on this route. This modern aircraft boasts 339 seats, providing more capacity for travelers to arrive into the Tampa Bay Area.

Over the course of IPW, the largest tourism event in the U.S. organized by U.S. Travel, the team was able to manage more than 200 appointments, engaging with travel trade professional and influential decision-makers as well as 40+ members of the media and content creators, both from the U.S. and international markets. Once appointments were handled, the colorful space that represented our destination hosted special events with the participation of a local artist creating a fun and engaging environment to build stronger relationships and expanded our presence in key and emerging international markets.

The International Leisure Sales Department hosted three impactful FAM trips in June 2025, welcoming a total of 32 key travel advisors and 4 tour operators from important international markets. Partners Personal RGE Receptive Operator (USA/Brazil), Magic Blue Turismo (Brazil), and Kuoni (Switzerland) participated in these immersive destination experiences, which provided them with firsthand knowledge of our unique offerings, hotel product, and world-class attractions.

These FAMs play a vital role in reinforcing our international presence and driving future travel demand. Thank you to all the partners who contributed to the success of these visits. We eagerly anticipate future collaborations to showcase St. Pete-Clearwater.

St. Pete-Clearwater continues to score big with sporting events that attract visitors into our destination, and bring significant economic benefits to our community.

From May 10 - June 29, the Dunedin Lanes and Seminole Lanes hosted the Florida State USBC Open Championship, bringing 2,771 out-of-region bowlers over the course of eight weekends. Meanwhile, the GSA Baseball World Series in Clearwater generated an estimated $2.3 million in direct economic impact and 4,027 room nights, thanks to 1,097 out-of-region participants. Looking ahead, the NSA Southeast World Series I, set to take place at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater and Madeira Beach’s R.O.C. Parks, is projected to deliver $2.5 million in direct economic impact this July, drawing 1,406 out-of-region participants for the fastpitch softball tournament.

St. Pete-Clearwater had a bright and sunny presence at Taste of London, a premier 5-day food festival in the U.K., where restaurants, along with food and drinks brands, and a select group of destinations interact directly with attending consumers. As a partner destination of the Florida MICHELIN Guide 2025, Taste of London offered the perfect opportunity to highlight our destination's booming culinary scene to potential travelers from the U.K.

An estimated 55,000 people attended this year’s festival over the course of eight sessions. As one of only four destinations to host an activation at the festival, and the only U.S. destination, VisitSPC along with the Rooster team gave out ice pops (a huge hit thanks to the heat wave that came through London) and had 875 signups to the holiday giveaway, with entrants also signing up to receive our newsletter.

Congratulations to the following partners for being honored in the prestigious Wine Spectator's Restaurant Awards! Wine Spectator's Restaurant Awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.

Best of Award of Excellence

- Alfano's
- Bascom's
- Birch & Vine
- Forlini's
- Juno & the Peacock
- Rococo
- Salt Rock Grill

Award of Excellence

- Allelo
- Bin6South
- Caretta on the Gulf
- Ceviche
- Ocean Seven
- Parkshore Grill

Alello

Best Wine Bar

The Don CeSar

Best Destination Resort

I Love the Burg covered this year's 727 Day, highlighting the t-shirt's design created by local artist, Chad Mize:

727 Day is growing into one of the biggest events of the year in Pinellas County

The Tides Market included in MICHELIN Guide's featured article titled: Nine Inspectors’ Favorites in Florida in 2025

Travel blog Travel Noire included St. Pete among 7 Weekend Trips to Take Across the Florida Shoreline for Beautiful Scenery, Sun, and Fun: https://travelnoire.com/weekend-trips-in-florida

Travel blog Travel Awaits identified several accommodation partners in the destination as budget friendly resorts: https://www.travelawaits.com/3010869/affordable-seaside-resorts-in-florida-for-your-summer-vacation/

Dunedin was called out by Travel + Leisure for one of the best small towns to live: https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-small-towns-to-live-in-the-us-11751041

For Tampa Bay Restaurant Week, the following outlets covered some of the participatng restaurants:

Tampa Bay's Morning Blend hosted Birch & Vine Chef Lee to promote Tampa Bay Restaurant Week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX06nKOQoCo

FOX13’s Dinner DeeAs spotlighted Ocean Hai Chef Joey as part of Tampa Bay Restaurant Week: https://www.fox13news.com/dinner-deeas/dinner-deeas-recipe-gochujang-short-ribs

HEW Parlor & Chophouse's Executive Chef Clayton Parrett was featured in Bay News 9's Chef's Kitchen segment: https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2025/06/18/hew-chophouse-executive-chef-clayton-parrett-offers-a-taste-of-barcelona-with-local-resources

The Partner Portal is the gateway to updating your business listing and staff member directory, upload videos, photos, and special offers, share your social media channels, & so much more. Partners with questions about navigating the Partner Portal or that do not have a username or password to log in to the partner portal, can email Contact@VisitSPC.com.