2017 Begins with Big Wins for Tampa Bay Tourism

 January, February kick off Calendar Year with Highest-Ever Hotel Revenues

TAMPA (April 7, 2017) – The first two months of 2017 produced new records for Tampa Bay tourism revenue, including the highest amount of local hotel income ever recorded in a single month.

In January, the College Football Playoff National Championship Game briefly pushed local hotel occupancy above 90 percent. Hotels reported a destination record $70.6 million in total revenues for the month – 18 percent from the previous January. Profitability was up 16 percent for the month.

Bed taxes, which fund both tourism marketing and maintenance of major facilities such as Raymond James Stadium and Amalie Arena, reached $3.148 million for January, a 16 percent boost year-over-year. Along with the College Football Playoff, Tampa Bay also hosted the Outback Bowl and the Florida Music Educators Association convention – two major annual events.

January’s bed-tax revenue was eclipsed by a total of $3.4 million for the month of February – the highest amount ever recorded for February. Hotel revenues for the month, which included the annual Gasparilla Distance Classic and the 12,000-member It Works convention, reached $69.5 million, up 4 percent from the previous February.

The most recent reports mean that, half way through Visit Tampa Bay’s budget year, the destination has posted record bed-tax revenue for five of the past six months, reaching $14.99 million – 5 percent over the same period last year.

“These record-smashing revenue numbers are a reminder of just how big a role tourism plays in the economy of Tampa Bay and the State of Florida,” said Visit Tampa Bay President and CEO Santiago Corrada. “High-profile events like the College Football Playoff – executed so beautifully by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and all others involved – build on our reputation as Florida’s most diverse travel destination. With our mix of major conventions, new attractions, new flights, and new cruises, we continue to rise among important domestic and international leisure travel destinations – a fact that brings billions of dollars into our community every year.”

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About Visit Tampa Bay

The hip, urban heart of Florida’s Gulf coast beats in Tampa Bay. Visit Tampa Bay encourages adventurous travelers to unlock sun, fun and culture in Florida’s most diverse travel destination. We are a not-for-profit corporation that works with 800 partners to tell the world the story of Tampa Bay. Treasure awaits.