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State Tourism Industry Offers Hot Deals For Summer
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Published: July 3, 2008
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TAMPA - "Staycation." It's become the summer buzzword reflecting vacationers' inclination to stay close to home as gas prices soar and the economy sags.
In response, hundreds of Florida hotels, restaurants and attractions are offering discounts well ahead of the normally slow autumn travel season.
In recent years, summer has been a close second to spring as the state's busiest - and most expensive – tourist season.
This year, much of the state's tourism industry has tried to take a pre-emptive strike against expectations that people would travel less or remain closer to home by offering myriad discount deals.
Both Tampa Bay & Co. and Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater, the visitors bureaus for Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, respectively, created Web page sections for summertime deals at summertimetampa.com and visitstpeteclearwater.com/summer.
"Offers range from free nights to rates that include perks like meals and ground transportation to discounts of up to 20 percent just for pre-paying your stay," said David Downing, director of public relations for Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater.
Tampa deals include discounted rates and upgrades at area hotels. For example, Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina offers advance purchases of as low as $127 compared with summer prices listed in the AAA guide from $241 to $307. Another discount lets guests who pay for a hotel room at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel get a suite.
Attraction discounts include a "Family 4-Pak" deal at The Florida Aquarium for $50, normally a $62 value.
The Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc. will launch its second annual "Endless Summer" program on Aug. 15 with three months of various "get one free" discounts.
Those include packages with two- or three-day hotel stays that offer the third day or fourth day free, ticket purchases at smaller attractions providing a second ticket free, and golf resorts offering a free round. Information is available at orlandoinfo.com/endlesssummer or by calling 1-888-675-4386.
The Greater Naples Marco Island Everglades CVB advertises in Tampa Bay a "Values In Paradise" card offering more than $3,000 in savings at 77 participating hotels, restaurants and attractions. Information is available at paridisecoast.com.
Even the Tampa Bay Rays are pitching their sport as an affordable entertainment outlet.
"Now with the economy the way it is, baseball is sort of a comfort food for many people," said Rick Vaughn, the Rays vice president of communications. "The whole notion of people not being able to afford vacations and staying home - staycations - plays right into baseball's hands."
People can take their families to the ballpark, visit the Ted Williams Museum and the Ray Tank at Tropicana Field, and make a daylong vacation out of a ball game with maybe a stay in downtown St. Petersburg or at the beach for a night, Vaughn said.
Because many people made travel and accommodations reservations well in advance of their summer vacations and the latest fallout from the gloomy economy, it may take until later this summer to fully evaluate this year's tourism economy after those long-term reservations have lapsed, officials said.
"What is happening is that people are scheduling trips on much shorter notice, even within seven days," said Danielle Courtenay, spokeswoman for the Orlando visitors bureau.
Summer travel is harder to track since so much of it is last-minute bookings, agreed Downing of Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater.
"We're getting some response from our Orlando-area "Touchpoints" ad campaign that touts the fact that the nation's No. 1 beach is only 90 minutes away," he said. "Anecdotally we've heard from the rangers' office at Caladesi that the phone is ringing off the hook with people who have seen the ads and want to come over.
Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817 and tjackovics@tampatrib.com
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( librarabbit ) on July 3, 2008 at 12:55 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Maybe if the Florida Visitors Bureau wanted me to invest in a "staycation" they would waive the outrageous "visitors" tax from our hotel stays for Florida residents. Otherwise, I'm headed out of state to get my monies worth.
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Posted by ( drdneast ) on July 3, 2008 at 2:46 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Hear that librarabbit. Won't happen. Makes to much sence.
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Posted by ( RevThaddeusPaulk ) on July 3, 2008 at 10:39 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
More Cowbell!
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Posted by ( sunbird21 ) on July 7, 2008 at 3:15 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Excellent article! Lots of great suggestions for savings! I know for a fact that many people are choosing to stay close to home this summer simply because there is SO much to do and see right here in Florida. We've got it made!
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