TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

State Seeks Visitors Via TV Ads

ADVERTISEMENT

By TED JACKOVICS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 29, 2008

Updated: 01/28/2008 09:11 pm

TAMPA - Florida will kick off its first national television tourism advertising program this week with an $8.6 million project on cable and other outlets as a sagging economy threatens the vitality of the state's mainstay visitors industry.

The three-week-long project will boost the state's marketing efforts, which are not funded as well as other states such as Hawaii, California, Texas, Pennsylvania and Illinois, said Bud Nocera, president and chief executive of Visit Florida, the state's tourism marketing agency.

Nocera and other tourism officials remained optimistic in a presentation Monday during Florida Huddle 2008. The annual trade show for representatives from Florida destinations to meet with tour operators and travel agencies drew more than 200 buyers and sellers Monday, the second day of the three-day event at the Tampa Convention Center.

"The year 2007 looks good for Florida tourism," Nocera said, although visitor figures were not available and many destinations, including Tampa, expect figures to be flat.

The effect of the troubled economy could show up in different travel patterns, said Steve Hayes, executive vice president of Tampa Bay & Co., the marketing group for Hillsborough County's tourism industry.

Travelers will take shorter vacation trips, perhaps cutting a five-day trip to four days, Hayes said.

However, Florida will continue to become a more upscale sell, especially for coastal destinations, as well as Orlando and Tampa.

"Orlando will gets its first Waldorf Astoria, perhaps in 2009, and Disney will get a Four Seasons hotel," said Gary Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau. A Ritz-Carlton is planned for Tampa in 2011.

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

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT