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Pinellas Tourism Numbers Decrease

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By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 16, 2008

CLEARWATER - Pinellas County's tourism consultant said the nation has entered a recession, which means the tourism industry will become more vital to the county than ever.

Walter Klages, of Research Data Service Inc. in Tampa, said today the number of overnight visitors was down in Pinellas in November and that research by a Tennessee consulting firm showed hotel occupancy declines in nearly all Florida beach destinations except for upscale hotels in the Naples area.

"Our market is not recession proof," Klages said.

However, the tourism outlook is not as gloomy as some reports indicate, Klages said, and tourism officials must be aggressive in their marketing to counteract poor economic activity.

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