Strong July 4 Week Drives New Record for the Month

Church of God in Christ, long holiday weekend boost tourism revenues for July

TAMPA (September 12) | Visit Tampa Bay is reporting that strong summer vacation travel and an extremely busy July 4 week propelled Hillsborough County’s tourism revenue to a new record for the month – $2.6 million, an 10.9 percent increase over 2018.

Following on a record June, July was the seventh straight month for unprecedented Tourist Development revenues.

The month began with 10,000 attendees at the Church of God in Christ conference spending the July 4 holiday in downtown, generating an estimated $3.9 million economic impact for the community – more than double the same period in 2018.

With July 4 leading a long holiday weekend, downtown occupancy for the month peaked at 91 percent on July 5. Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR), a measure of hotels’ profitability, nearly tripled on that day year-over-year, according to industry analyst STR Inc.

“We were delighted to have the Church of God in Christ members to join us for the Fourth of July week,” said Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “They helped make July an unforgettable month for the destination as a whole. We are grateful to Bishop William Watson for the opportunity to host his conference this year.”

According to STR Inc., overall hotel revenues for the month hit $56.1 million, up 11.5 percent from the same period the year before. Occupancy for the month was up 3.8 percent, and RevPAR grew 7.7% overall.

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About Visit Tampa Bay

The hip, urban heart of Florida’s west coast beats in Tampa Bay. Visit Tampa Bay works closely with hundreds of industry partners across the region to drive more than $6 billion a year in economic development through tourism. More than 53,000 people in Hillsborough County support their families and secure their futures through tourism. Treasure awaits.