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Tourism expert repeats his upbeat prediction

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: May 14, 2009

CLEARWATER - If you're looking for good news about the economy - and who isn't - look to Pinellas County, where a tourism consultant on Wednesday predicted that the local visitors industry will begin to show signs of recovery by mid- to late September.

That forecast by Walter Klages, who runs Tampa-based Research Data Services, reiterates predictions the economist already has made twice this year.

Klages' observation is based on interviews with corporate executives and travel focus groups that led him to conclude the recession is bottoming out, resembling the bottom of the letter U.

"It will begin to make its upturn here in September," he said.

In part, that's because the overall economy is showing signs of increased activity in Florida and other feeder markets nationwide, he said.

In March, the number of overnight visitors to Pinellas County declined 7.9 percent to 586,200, compared with March 2008, Klages reported.

For the first quarter of 2009, the number of visitors has fallen 6 percent to 1.2 million.

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

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