One of Florida’s most popular destinations is “fully open” and ready to welcome visitors.
Tampa and the wider Tampa Bay area found itself in the path of two hurricanes this autumn but although it emerged largely undamaged it is still fighting perceptions that it is in recovery mode and not open to tourists, says Patrick Harrison, Chief Marketing Officer for Tampa Bay Tourism.
“I don’t like saying that the media coverage was overblown, because they were serious storms and people lost their lives, but the negative publicity has left us with a lot of work to do to change those perceptions.
“We are 100% open, and our tourism infrastructure was not hit at all expect for damage to one hotel that was actually already closed before the storm (Hurricane Milton) arrived,” added Harrison.
To get that message out before the key January booking window opens, the destination has embarked on a new $1.4 million initiative, both internationally and in the U.S.
Around a million dollars are being spent in the UK market alone over the next three months.
Highlights of a multi-platform initiative with the tag ‘Ready’ – ‘Ready to Play’, ‘Ready for Adventure’, ‘Ready to Relax’, ‘Ready to Cheer’, ‘Ready to Connect’ and ‘Ready to Thrill’ -include an advertising campaign across London mainline stations, Tube stations, taxis and paid activity with influencers and via social media.
Tampa will also maximise its partnership with Premier League football club Brentford and is sponsoring the London Art Fair (January 22-26) to showcase the arts and culture found across the destination.
“By our standards, this is a very big campaign,” said Harrison.
“The UK is our number one international market, with two daily direct flights; we have other activity planned here throughout the year.
“Taking a strong stance in the UK and highlighting that Tampa Bay is ready to welcome visitors is an important part of our strategy and we look forward to seeing even more of our UK friends.”
Harrison said Tampa is positioning itself in the luxury sector.
“Florida is no longer a ‘value destination’ and in Tampa we are pushing the bar ever higher.
“Some of the 2,500 new rooms we have added in the last two years are in five-star hotels. These include Tampa EDITION, which opened in October 2022 with luxury amenities and seven unique dining concepts, and The Playhouse Hyde Park Village, a bespoke, residential-inspired hotel with suites located in Tampa’s historic Hyde Park neighbourhood.
“In addition, we now have 30-plus restaurants in the Michelin guides.”
He added: “We now see ourselves as, perhaps, a ‘Brooklyn with Sunshine’, in that we have that same cool urban vibe; if you want to go to cool breweries, distilleries and restaurants, that is us”.
Key attractions include the Tampa Riverwalk, which links eateries, parks and cultural centres; Ybor City, where Cuban artisans hand-roll cigars as they have since 1885; and Gasparilla, Tampa Bay’s annual pirate-themed party.
Tampa is also a good choice for fans of U.S. sports, with professional teams in the NFL (Buccaneers), NHL (Lightning) and MLB (Rays) along with soccer teams Rowdies (men) and Sun (women).
“To me our women’s football team sums up everything we are trying to be. They are inspiring and can encourage girls and women to embrace sport and healthy living, which is kind of how we feel as a destination,” enthused Harrison.
He said Tampa hopes to be a training base city for one of the 2026 FIFA World Cup teams, when the U.S. jointly hosts that tournament with Canada and Mexico.
“Negotiations are taking place, and we hope it will work out,” he said.
Tourism is an important driver of Tampa’s economy and accounts for 59,000 jobs in the region.
