Event travel drives record $36 million spring tax collection in Pinellas County

A surge in special event travel and group trips helped Pinellas County tourism leaders generate record tax revenues this spring, fueling local beach recovery efforts.St. Pete tourism growthPinellas County collected over $36 million in tourist development taxes this spring as Visit St. Pete-Clearwater set a new tourism record. Tourism leaders reported that 12% of visitors now travel specifically for special events, including sporting competitions like the St. Pete Grand Prix, the Red Bull Cliff Diving Competition, and music festivals. Travel patterns have shifted away from solo couples and immediate families toward larger group trips with friends."The immediate family has always been our bread and butter for our leisure traveler here in St. Pete Clearwater, and we haven’t seen that dip necessarily. We’ve just seen an increase in folks coming within those larger groups," said Brian Lowack, the president and CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater.Visitors are also opting for shorter stays while