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Revival Of Tourism Could Start With The Super Bowl

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: January 15, 2009

CLEARWATER - The economic recession for Pinellas County's mainstay tourism industry should show signs of turning around in the next six to eight months, the county's tourism consultant said Wednesday.

"This is the one industry that is going to lead us out of this mess," said Walter Klages, an economist and head of Research Data Services Inc. of Tampa. "It won't be a robust turnaround, but you will see little things change."

Klages urged the Pinellas County Tourist Development Council to see impending change as an opportunity to focus its marketing efforts.

Those opportunities include wealthy Europeans, who increasingly are checking out Pinellas County, and a revived "drive market" of U.S. visitors who put off summer vacations but with lower gas prices are traveling in increased numbers.

Pinellas drew 1.9 percent fewer overnight visitors - 4.79 million - the first 11 months of 2008 compared with 2007. Preliminary December results were better than November's, Klages said.

The recovery in Pinellas will begin with this year's Super Bowl and thousands of visitors who will descend on the Bay area for the game Feb. 1, said Calvin Harris, a Pinellas County commissioner and chairman of the tourist council.

European visitors and more U.S. tourists will follow by summer if marketing is focused properly, Harris said.

Virgin Holidays, a British travel and tour group, said bookings to Florida are strong through 2009. Pinellas drew 898,157 visitors from Europe through November 2008.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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