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Sagging Economy Saps Pinellas Tourism Industry

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By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 8, 2008

CLEARWATER - The disastrous national economy continues to take a toll on travel and Pinellas County's multibillion dollar tourism industry.

The number of overnight visitors this year through August has declined by 1.4 percent or, 56,870, to a total of 3.97 million.

Those figures compiled through surveys by Research Data Services Inc. of Tampa include visitors staying in commercial lodging or with friends and relatives

The August report declined by 5.3 percent or 21,300 visitors in a month battered by hurricane fears in addition to a more frugal traveling public, Walter Klages, the county's tourism consultant, said. Still, visitors to Pinellas spent $2.6 billion in direct expenditures through August, he said.

"These are difficult times," said Klages, who heads Research Data Services. "This is a time when it really matters what our image is."

This year could be even worse if not for the favorable currency exchange enticing overseas travelers to the United States.

Pinellas County has gained 8.2 percent or an additional 48,892 visitors from Europe during the first eight months of the year compared with the same period in 2007 for a total of 641,805.

However, travelers from domestic locales to Pinellas is down, with 52,106 fewer overnight visitors from the Midwest, 44,238 fewer from the Northeast and 12,514 fewer from the Southeast, excluding Florida.

Florida visitors from Florida have increased by 3,123 to 428,803 this year. In August, Tampa/St. Petersburg and the Orlando area were the two top U.S. feeder markets.

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

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