PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The spring break season is here.
“Although we’re a year-round destination, spring break is the pinnacle of our year,” said Clyde Smith, general manager of the Bilmar Beach Resort.
During spring break, our area and local businesses see more visitors than at any other time of year.
“Basically, this is their Super Bowl, right? This is game time. This is when we have the most traffic volume here,” said Brian Lowack, President & CEO of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.
While spring breakers are, of course, flocking to our beaches, the surrounding communities also benefit from the increase in tourism.
“If you spend time in Pinellas and any of those great cities in Pinellas, you’re going to come over to the other side of the bridge and enjoy some of the great things we have to offer and vice versa,” said Santiago C. Corrada, President & CEO of Visit Tampa Bay.
Experts believe Tampa Bay has grown in popularity for spring break because it’s family-friendly.
“They come for Busch Gardens, they come for the zoo, the aquarium, you know, the list goes on and on, right? The Children’s Museum, History Museum, MOSI. We have lots of family-friendly attractions,” said Corrada.
“We’re becoming one of those destinations that young adults love to visit as well, with the dining scene exploding as it is. You know cool locations like Water Street, Sparkman Wharf, Midtown, you know some of our staples like Hyde Park and South Tampa,” he added.
Many of the local shops across Tampa Bay rely on the influx they get this time of year.
“The revenues generated in the 45 days of spring break help some businesses survive throughout the entire year, especially during the slower months,” said Smith.
Although the tourism industry has experienced ups and downs since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts expect this year to be busy once again.
Businesses like the Bilmar Beach Resort have been preparing.
“We get our staff ready. We make sure they get enough rest ahead of time,” said Smith.
“They’re pumped up, they’re ready, they’re staffed up. We pride ourselves here in the destination, and I know our partners do as well in really rolling out the red carpet for our visitors. You never know when that first-time visitor is potentially a visitor for life,” said Lowack.
The money visitors bring to the area affects the entire community for years to come.
“Tourists pay a sales tax that then goes back into our local economy,” said Corrada.
“The impact that these guests make on our entire community, it helps pay for our bridges, our museums, our beaches. It’s not just great for the hotels and restaurants, it’s good for everybody,” said Smith.
