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Tourism Marketing Takes Hit

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By TED JACKOVICS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 25, 2008

TAMPA - Hillsborough County's tourism marketing agency reported Thursday that it has lost 8 percent of its sponsoring members - 62 of about 750 - since Oct. 1 in yet another sign of the sputtering economy.

Most of the businesses that have not renewed membership to the quasi-governmental Tampa Bay & Co. are small ones, such as caterers that work on the periphery of the county's mainstay visitors industry. They no longer want to pay membership fees, said Steve Hayes, executive vice president of the quasi-governmental visitors group.

Tampa Bay & Co. relies on private sponsors to support its marketing and visitor recruitment efforts for about 10 percent of its $10 million in annual revenue. Members include hoteliers, restaurateurs and others who serve business and leisure visitors to Hillsborough County. The other 90 percent of its funding comes from a tax on hotel and motel room rates.

Despite the membership decline, the agency's operations should not be affected severely, Hayes said, and officials said they are hopeful more members will choose to renew in the near future.

Still, visitors' industry representatives from both sides of Tampa Bay continue to look for ways to become more efficient in a time of tightening resources, and increasingly are discussing opportunities to work together to leverage marketing and other resources.

More than two dozen tourism agency and business officials from both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties attended the Hillsborough County Tourist Development Council annual workshop Thursday afternoon, where collaboration was a key topic.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817 or tjackovics@tampatrib.com.

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