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Pinellas Bucks State Trend, Sees Record Number Of Visitors In 2007

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By TED JACKOVICS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 14, 2008

CLEARWATER - Pinellas County drew a record 5.3 million overnight visitors in 2007, but the weak U.S. economy appears to be taking a toll on leisure travel statewide, with upscale destinations remaining the exception.

"We are definitely sailing against the wind," Walter Klages, Pinellas' tourism consultant, said Wednesday.

Pinellas set a record last year with direct visitor expenditures of $3.3 billion, up 3.6 percent from 2006. That led to an economic impact in Pinellas County of some $6.6 billion when accounting for how the money spent by visitors spread throughout the local economy, Klages said.

Travel from other Florida locales to Pinellas in 2007 fell 2 percent to 548,757 overnight visitors, although travel from other Southeast markets, the Northeast and Midwest showed small gains. Travel from Europe and Canada declined slightly despite favorable monetary exchange rates for international visitors.

Klages pointed to a gain in visitors from Detroit - which advanced from eighth to third in Pinellas feeder markets in December compared with a year ago. Klages attributed the gains from Michigan to laid off employees spending separation pay on travel.

Another sign of the times is that more people along Florida's west coast are making money by renting homes to visitors, a trend that could have some impact on hoteliers, Klages said.

While travel among the more affluent remains strong, the economy's impact on less wealthy visitors became obvious across Florida in December.

A survey by Smith Travel Research of Hendersonville, Tenn., showed that demand for Florida hotel rooms declined 3.8 percent in December 2007 compared with December 2006. U.S. demand in December dropped 0.8 percent.

The Tampa-St. Petersburg area showed a 7.9 percent year-over-year decline in room demand in December, Smith Travel reported. Other declines were Miami-Hialeah at 1.9 percent; Orlando, 2.9 percent; Jacksonville, 5.8 percent; Daytona Beach, 10.8 percent; the Keys, 0.7 percent; the Panhandle, 9.1 percent; and Fort Myers, 6.7 percent.

Fort Lauderdale, where new upscale hotels contributed to a 3 percent December gain in room demand, was the state's bright spot, the Smith Travel report showed.

To help counter the adverse travel trends, the Pinellas visitors agency is seeking to collaborate in South America with Tampa Bay & Co., the Hillsborough County visitors bureau, which has representatives in Argentina and Brazil, said Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater Executive Director D.T. Minich.

In addition, the Pinellas visitors group continues to pursue marketing plans with Orlando Sanford International Airport to draw international visitors arriving on charter flights at the Seminole County airport.

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

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