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When the Republican National Convention is held at the Tampa Bay Times Forum this August, politicians, media and pundits are expected to swell tourism revenues for the whole region.
So perhaps the economic squabbling between Hillsborough and Pinellas counties can take an elephant-sized respite — at least while Mitt, Newt and others bring their political circus acts to the bay.
In fact, the benefits from the convention will spread as far southwest as the Alden Beach Resort & Suites in St. Petersburg, which is about a 45-minute drive from the Tampa Bay Times Forum with no traffic.
The hotel recorded January occupancy of roughly 45% but already has 75% of its space reserved for five days during the event. “The benefits will definitely make it over the bridge,” Tony Satterfield, the vice president of operations for the resort, tells Coffee Talk.
Pinellas may actually outweigh Hillsborough tourism this year — at least for those looking for a tan and sand. St. Petersburg beach was ranked first in beach destinations on TripAdvisor's 2012 Travelers' Choice Awards. Satterfield says the award is important because it's based on votes from actual tourists. He says Alden Beach Resort will highlight the distinction in its marketing strategy “across the board for the next 12 months.”
From Satterfield's perspective, tourism has been fairly healthy this season with 80% occupancy at the hotel in February and 90% expected in March. Satterfield says Alden Beach Resort targets a classic customer base in Midwestern travelers and uses traditional marketing techniques like bundled vacation packages.
In addition, partnerships with MLT Vacations, Mark Travel and Southwest allow the 140-suite hotel to competitively market to consumers in large Midwest cities. Says Satterfield: “These partnerships help a hotel our size get our voice heard in those large markets.”
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