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Hillsborough sets annual bed tax record — in 11 months

 
Actor Hrithik Roshan greets fans and well-wishers after arriving at Tampa International Airport on April 24 for the “Bollywood Oscars” in Tampa.
Actor Hrithik Roshan greets fans and well-wishers after arriving at Tampa International Airport on April 24 for the “Bollywood Oscars” in Tampa.
Published Sept. 19, 2014

TAMPA — Tourism is back in Hillsborough County, and it's bigger than ever.

Hillsborough collected $21.9 million in bed taxes in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2014, according to county tourism agency Visit Tampa Bay. That's already a county record for bed tax collections, and the year isn't over yet.

The previous annual record was $21.8 million, in 2007. But Visit Tampa Bay CEO Santiago Corrada said Thursday his goal is to reach $23.3 million when the last month of the 2014 fiscal year, September, is in the books.

Corrada said new tourists are being drawn to Tampa.

"I hate to say it," he said, "but it's like a shiny new toy that people are starting to discover."

Last year Visit Tampa Bay launched Hillsborough's first-ever tourism branding campaign — Unlock Tampa Bay — to sell the urban flavor and cultural authenticity of Tampa as a complement to the area's primary attraction, the Pinellas beaches.

Visit Tampa Bay came up with the brand after its market research revealed that Orlando, the home of New Fantasyland and Diagon Alley, was getting higher marks for authenticity than Tampa, home of Ybor City and the pirate José Gaspar.

That new brand, Corrada said, is helping tourists see the Tampa-Hillsborough region as a vacation destination in its own right.

"What's really, really cool is that finally, I think our authenticity is becoming a driver," Corrada said. "We thought we were authentic, but the rest of the world didn't. I think people are tired of the same old thing, and they're looking for something different.

"When you look at the mix we have here, when you combine both sides of the bay, there's something for everyone."

The 5 percent tourist development tax is levied on every hotel room and rental under six months. It's considered a leading indicator of the performance of the local tourism market because it tracks the volume of hotel room nights sold. The bed tax funds Visit Tampa Bay's operations and is also divided among the Tampa Convention Center, the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts and other venues.

The new bed tax record indicates that Hillsborough County's tourism industry has completed its comeback after being badly damaged by the recession. After the record year of 2007, bed tax numbers plunged 20 percent to $17.5 million in 2010.

It's been a slow, steady climb since. The Republican National Convention in 2012 helped Hillsborough get back to $21 million in tourist taxes. In 2013, the county garnered $21.2 million. That year, visitors to the county also spent a record $4.4 billion, according to Visit Tampa Bay.

"I like to say it's a combination of factors," Corrada said, including "clever marketing, smart marketing" and "an aggressive sales team for convention groups and events."

Corrada also credited some big events for fueling convention business. The International Indian Film Academy Weekend & Awards, also known as the "Bollywood Oscars," attracted 30,000 visitors in April, officials said. Then in August, the Prince Hall Shriners convention drew 25,000.

"It's all about how you package those great assets," Corrada said. "I think we're redefining how people think about the destination."

Contact Jamal Thalji at thalji@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3404. Follow @jthalji.