Aug. 21 was a mess for the oil industry. That was the day an oil platform off the northern coast of Australia began leaking 300 to 400 barrels of oil a day into the Timor Sea. Reports are that the leak continues, fouling thousands of miles of ocean and threatening marine life. ...more

October 30, 2009

Pinellas County's mainstay tourism industry appears to be inching toward leading Pinellas out of recession, the county's visitors industry consultant said Wednesday. ...more

October 29, 2009

Demand for hotel rooms continued to decline locally, statewide and nationally in May compared with a year ago as the poor economy affected business and leisure travel, the latest Smith Travel Research report shows. ...more

July 16, 2009

The Tampa-St. Petersburg area had the second-worst decline in the state in demand for hotel and motel rooms in April, a new report shows. ...more

June 16, 2009

Hotel Bookings Fall In Tampa Area The number of hotel rooms booked in January declined 5.7 percent in the Tampa-St. Petersburg region compared with 5.4 percent for Florida and 7.7 percent for the United States, a Tennessee travel industry consultant reported. ...more

March 25, 2009

The number of hotel rooms booked in January declined 5.7 percent in the Tampa-St. Petersburg region compared with 5.4 percent for Florida and 7.7 percent for the United States, a Tennessee travel industry consultant reported. ...more

March 24, 2009

Nine Florida banks, including one in the Tampa Bay area, have applied for and received $164 million in bailout money under the federal government's $700 billion rescue package of financial institutions, according to the latest data from the U.S. Treasury Department. ...more

February 10, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) - Several analysts expressed skepticism Friday that the Federal Reserve's decision allowing GMAC Financial Services to become a bank holding company would spur many more people to buy cars. ...more

December 28, 2008

More than one out of two Pinellas County hotel rooms was vacant during September as the poor economy and hurricane threats took a toll on the local visitors' industry, two reports released Wednesday show. ...more

November 6, 2008

More than one out of two Pinellas County hotel rooms was vacant during September as the poor economy and hurricane threats took a toll on the local visitors' industry, two reports released Wednesday show. ...more

November 5, 2008