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Tampa Bay tourism breaks records
Joneé Lewis reports
TAMPA, Fla. - Tourist development collections in Hillsborough County this year are shattering previous records as people flock to Florida, Visit Tampa Bay reports.
The total Tourist Development Tax collections within the first 11 months of the 2022 fiscal year have hit $53,716,578. That's a 59% increase over the same period in 2021.
"And I can remember a few years ago where $30 million was the benchmark and with one month still out, we will probably double that and be at over $60 million this year, which is again phenomenal," Santiago Corrada, the president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, said. "It goes with the revenue. It's a tax, a fee on top of the revenue that's collected."
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The money is in addition to other hotel revenue collected and has a positive impact on Tampa.
"That means we have people coming in from out of the area that are spending money here that are generating jobs and are having a huge economic impact," Corrada said. "Because we know that when you travel to a destination, your number one expense is not lodging, it's food and beverage, it's entertainment, and then it's lodging."
Visit Tampa Bay said overall, total taxable hotel revenue for Tampa Bay has reached $895,488,762 for the fiscal year. Those numbers surpass pre-pandemic levels and represent a winning streak that will only continue.
"Our future is extremely, extremely bright," Corrada said. "We are booking big events for future years. And I can tell you that next year is a blockbuster."