HOTEL REVENUE

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TOPS $100 MILLION IN MAY HOTEL REVENUE FOR FIRST TIME

Strong Year-to-Date Hotel Occupancy Across
Leisure and Convention Categories Fuels Tampa Bay Tourism

Tampa, FL (July 9, 2026) – Following an unprecedented April, Hillsborough County tourism remained robust in May, achieving new milestones for the month in both taxable hotel revenue – $ 100,008,022 – and hotel bed taxes collected - $5,998,926. This is the first May that hotel revenue has cleared $100 million in Hillsborough County history and represents a 5% increase over the previous record of $95,183,533 set last year. 

“Topping last year’s milestone and achieving the strongest May in the history of Hillsborough County tourism is an incredible accomplishment,” said Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “It’s the result of a deliberate investment in strategic marketing and sales efforts that attracts leisure travelers and conventions, as well as an investment by the entire hospitality eco-system – hotels, restaurants, county and city leaders, and the individual efforts of nearly 62,000 hospitality workers – in making each visitor feel like the most valued guest Tampa Bay has ever had.”

Hotel occupancy in the Leisure Travel category for the month of May averaged nearly 71%, a well-earned 3.4% increase over last year. These consistently strong numbers were further bolstered by the more than 34,000 hotel room nights booked by attendees at more than 30 conventions, meetings, and other gatherings held in Tampa Bay during the month.

Among the meetings were two citywide conventions. The first, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting, generated more than 5,000 hotel room nights and had an estimated economic impact of nearly $3 million. The second citywide convention, the Global Special Operations Forces (SOF) Foundation’s SOF Week, had more than 20,000 attendees, achieved an average three-night hotel occupancy rate of 90%, and generated more than $20 million in estimated economic impact. 

Through the end of May, year-to-date hotel revenue numbers sit at $594,024,257 while collections reached $54,603,457. Tampa Bay also remains near the top of both the leisure and convention competitive categories for the year. All told, 2026 is on pace to be one of the highest revenue years ever for Tampa Bay’s hospitality industry and Corrada points to ongoing and future development that he believes will provide more enticements for an even greater number of leisure and business travelers.

“Work is underway on the Tampa Riverwalk Expansion,” explained Corrada. “J.C. Newman Cigar Company’s Inn at El Reloj brings a truly boutique hotel option in Ybor City at the end of the year while one of the area’s most unique and eclectic developments, Gasworx, continues to take shape. The Pendry Tampa adds more five-star opulence to downtown Tampa next spring, all while popular established attractions like Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay are set to open thrilling new offerings like Lion and Hyena Ridge. There truly is something for everyone in Tampa Bay, no matter what kind of treasure they’re looking for.”