Region posts record tourism figures

TAMPA — The first two months of 2017 have been stellar for tourism in Tampa.

In January, for example, area hotels reported a destination record $70.6 million in total revenues, according to Visit Tampa Bay. That's up 18% from the previous January. Profitability was up 16% for the month, the tourism marketing agency adds in a statement. Also in January, the College Football Playoff National Championship Game briefly pushed local hotel occupancy above 90%.

Bed taxes, which fund both tourism marketing and maintenance of major facilities such as Raymond James Stadium and Amalie Arena, closed at $3.14 million for January, a 16% boost year-over-year. January's bed-tax revenue was eclipsed by a total of $3.4 million for the month of February - the highest amount ever recorded for February, the agency states. Hotel revenues for the month, which included the annual Gasparilla Distance Classic and the 12,000-member It Works convention, reached $69.5 million, up 4% from the previous February.

“These record-smashing revenue numbers are a reminder of just how big a role tourism plays in the economy of Tampa Bay and the State of Florida,” says Visit Tampa Bay President and CEO Santiago Corrada in the statement. “High-profile events like the College Football Playoff - executed so beautifully by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and all others involved - build on our reputation as Florida's most diverse travel destination.”