TDT NUMBERS
UNPRECEDENTED $1.16 BILLION IN 2024 REVENUE PROPELS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR OF RECORD TOURISM
December Revenue Breaks Previous Mark with more than $108 Million
Tampa, FL (February 11, 2025) – Hillsborough County’s tourism reached new heights in calendar year 2024 with an unprecedented $1,161,124,833 in taxable hotel revenue. Achieved in partnership with Tampa Bay’s 60,000 hospitality workers, this new benchmark is an $80 million (7.4%) increase from the previous high set in 2023.
This is the third straight billion-dollar revenue year in Hillsborough County history and the fourth consecutive year of new highs in revenue. Previous top revenue figures were $758,007,025 in 2021, $1,031,492,464 in 2022, and $1,081,186,149 in 2023.
“Since earning unmatched levels of hotel revenue as we emerged from the pandemic, Hillsborough County has set new benchmarks every year with more than $400 million in revenue growth since 2021,” said Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “This growth has been generated by increasing numbers of leisure and business travelers choosing Tampa Bay as their destination of choice every month.”
Tampa Bay’s exceptional 2024 was fueled by new pinnacles in monthly revenue levels for seven months, including four straight months to close the year. The year culminated with December’s best-ever $108,240,939 in taxable hotel revenue and $6,509,859 in Tourism Development collections. December 2024 was the first time that Hillsborough County exceeded the $100 million revenue threshold for the month, a 25.7% increase from the previous top mark set in 2022.
The number of hotel room stays in December also summitted previously unexplored peaks, with an occupancy rate of 78.4%, a growth of 14% over the same period last year. Robust numbers of hotel guests combined with an Average Daily Hotel Room Rate (ADR) of $171.27 and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of $134.21 kept the positive trend of consecutive monthly records going.
Industry performance of this magnitude and consistency is something Corrada attributes to the resilience and adaptability of the Tampa Bay hospitality industry as well as the visibility generated by Visit Tampa Bay’s ongoing marketing efforts.
“There is not a more innovative, dynamic, and resilient group of people than the folks in Tampa Bay’s hospitality industry,” said Corrada. “Our teammates at the county, our cities, and our 900-plus partners turned 2024’s challenges into opportunities, allowing our industry to thrive, not merely survive. Visit Tampa Bay’s $1.6 million investment in last fall’s ‘Tampa Bay is Ready’ integrated marketing campaign reminded key domestic and international markets that Tampa Bay was ready for visitors to unlock its treasure. We’re continuing that investment with an additional $2.7 million this winter into spring, and we’re confident these efforts will keep Tampa Bay front-of-mind as a world-class destination for potential travelers.”
ABOUT VISIT TAMPA BAY
The heart of Florida’s Gulf Coast beats in Tampa Bay. Visit Tampa Bay encourages adventure with a relaxing vibe to create vacation experiences that are authentically Tampa Bay. As a not-for-profit corporation certified by Destinations International’s Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), we work with hundreds of partners to tell the world the story of Tampa Bay. Treasure awaits. For more information, visit our website.