Black Meetings & Tourism - MARCH TOURISM IN TAMPA BAY SETS NEW MONTHLY MILESTONE

Industry Briefs
MARCH TOURISM IN TAMPA BAY SETS NEW MONTHLY MILESTONE
$134 Million in Taxable Hotel Revenue and $8 Million in Bed Tax is Top Mark of Any Month on Record The impact of dynamic marketing campaigns, incisive sales missions and focused incentive investments all proved themselves with exceptional Tampa Bay tourism results for March. Both taxable hotel revenue and bed tax collections reached new highs as hotel stays in Hillsborough County produced $134,480,516 in taxable revenue while generating $8,063,482 in Tourism Development Taxes. The result is that March entered the books as the best-performing month in the county’s history. Santiago C. Corrada “March’s milestone-setting performance can be traced back to two founding principles that guide Visit Tampa Bay,” said Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “The first principle is that we’re only as good as the commitment from our more than 1,000 partners, as well as city and county teammates, and they have been nothing short of amazing. The second principle is that, to ensure we fully support their efforts and make sure their hard work is rewarded, we must strategically invest and regularly promote the destination on a recurring basis to attract leisure travelers, business travelers, and event planners. It’s a garden that needs constant tending, but when resourced correctly, it can yield strong results.” Adhering to these principles led to Hillsborough County hosting nearly 60 meetings, conventions, and other events, including four citywide conventions and the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. These events generated tens of thousands of hotel room nights and hundreds of millions in economic impact for Hillsborough County. May promises another full slate of meetings with more than 30 gatherings, three of which are city-wide conventions, including the annual Special Operations Forces Week which is expected to have nearly 20,000 attendees. March represents only the third time Hillsborough County hotel revenue has topped $130 million, besting the previous marks of $133,480,741 in February 2025 and $132,525,885 in March 2025. This is only the second time bed tax collections exceeded $8 million, with the prior occasion being February 2025 when the figure was $8,004,497. Year-to-date (September 2025 – March 2026), taxable hotel revenue reached $689,139,934, resulting in $41,332,294 in TDT collections to support marketing efforts to promote Tampa Bay as a leisure and meeting destination while also supporting both Raymond James Stadium and Benchmark International Arena. Corrada specifically emphasized investment in marketing Tampa Bay as a premier destination, plays a critical role in the success we are seeing. He pointed to Visit Tampa Bay’s winter “Go and You’ll Know” campaign launched this past holiday season as an example of the research-based strategic marketing campaign used to target Visit Tampa Bay’s largest and highest-value feeder markets, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Boston. International efforts include Canada, with lower-funnel messaging to capture travelers already shopping Florida destinations, as well as the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. “Team Tampa Bay – the hotels, restaurants, attractions, event venues, teammates at the county and city – all have worked to create this fabulous destination,” explained Corrada. “It’s the thoughtful use of time and money to promote the destination by Visit Tampa Bay that ensures everything our partners have built captures the imagination of potential travelers. And Team Tampa Bay is all in, understanding that the investment gets the visitors here, and it’s our people who ensure guests have a remarkable stay.” About Visit Tampa Bay The vibrant heart of Florida’s Gulf Coast comes alive in Tampa Bay. Authentic culture, approachable luxury, and stunning waterfronts define an unforgettable destination. Here, acclaimed chefs, vibrant neighborhoods, and a rich living heritage create something rare; a place that feels both authentic and undeniably alive. As a not-for-profit, private 501(c)(6) corporation accredited by Destinations International’s Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), we collaborate with hundreds of partners to share Tampa Bay’s story with the world. Treasure awaits! For more information, visit our website.

Industry Briefs

MARCH TOURISM IN TAMPA BAY SETS NEW MONTHLY MILESTONE

$134 Million in Taxable Hotel Revenue and $8 Million in Bed Tax is Top Mark of Any Month on Record

The impact of dynamic marketing campaigns, incisive sales missions and focused incentive investments all proved themselves with exceptional Tampa Bay tourism results for March. Both taxable hotel revenue and bed tax collections reached new highs as hotel stays in Hillsborough County produced $134,480,516 in taxable revenue while generating $8,063,482 in Tourism Development Taxes. The result is that March entered the books as the best-performing month in the county’s history.

Santiago C. Corrada

“March’s milestone-setting performance can be traced back to two founding principles that guide Visit Tampa Bay,” said Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “The first principle is that we’re only as good as the commitment from our more than 1,000 partners, as well as city and county teammates, and they have been nothing short of amazing. The second principle is that, to ensure we fully support their efforts and make sure their hard work is rewarded, we must strategically invest and regularly promote the destination on a recurring basis to attract leisure travelers, business travelers, and event planners. It’s a garden that needs constant tending, but when resourced correctly, it can yield strong results.”

Adhering to these principles led to Hillsborough County hosting nearly 60 meetings, conventions, and other events, including four citywide conventions and the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. These events generated tens of thousands of hotel room nights and hundreds of millions in economic impact for Hillsborough County. May promises another full slate of meetings with more than 30 gatherings, three of which are city-wide conventions, including the annual Special Operations Forces Week which is expected to have nearly 20,000 attendees.

March represents only the third time Hillsborough County hotel revenue has topped $130 million, besting the previous marks of $133,480,741 in February 2025 and $132,525,885 in March 2025. This is only the second time bed tax collections exceeded $8 million, with the prior occasion being February 2025 when the figure was $8,004,497.

Year-to-date (September 2025 – March 2026), taxable hotel revenue reached $689,139,934, resulting in $41,332,294 in TDT collections to support marketing efforts to promote Tampa Bay as a leisure and meeting destination while also supporting both Raymond James Stadium and Benchmark International Arena.

Corrada specifically emphasized investment in marketing Tampa Bay as a premier destination, plays a critical role in the success we are seeing. He pointed to Visit Tampa Bay’s winter “Go and You’ll Know” campaign launched this past holiday season as an example of the research-based strategic marketing campaign used to target Visit Tampa Bay’s largest and highest-value feeder markets, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Boston. International efforts include Canada, with lower-funnel messaging to capture travelers already shopping Florida destinations, as well as the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil.

“Team Tampa Bay – the hotels, restaurants, attractions, event venues, teammates at the county and city – all have worked to create this fabulous destination,” explained Corrada. “It’s the thoughtful use of time and money to promote the destination by Visit Tampa Bay that ensures everything our partners have built captures the imagination of potential travelers. And Team Tampa Bay is all in, understanding that the investment gets the visitors here, and it’s our people who ensure guests have a remarkable stay.”

About Visit Tampa Bay

The vibrant heart of Florida’s Gulf Coast comes alive in Tampa Bay. Authentic culture, approachable luxury, and stunning waterfronts define an unforgettable destination. Here, acclaimed chefs, vibrant neighborhoods, and a rich living heritage create something rare; a place that feels both authentic and undeniably alive. As a not-for-profit, private 501(c)(6) corporation accredited by Destinations International’s Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), we collaborate with hundreds of partners to share Tampa Bay’s story with the world. Treasure awaits! For more information, visit our website.