Record-Breaking Tourism Numbers Reported In Pinellas County

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Pinellas County broke tourism records in March, according to data from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater.

The St. Petersburg-Clearwater area collected more than $14.6 million in Tourist Development Taxes, also known as bed tax, in March 2024, the data, which was reported during Wednesday’s monthly Tourist Development Council meeting, showed. (Watch the full meeting below.)

This “marks the most-ever TDT collections for Visit St. Pete-Clearwater for any month in recorded history,” Edward Delgado, the agency’s communications manager, told Patch.

The area saw an almost 8 percent increase in bed tax over March 2023.

The bed tax increase “shows that St. Pete-Clearwater remains a premiere destination for spring travelers and we have accommodations that appeal to a wide array of travelers — from the luxury traveler, to the savings seeker, from families, to the younger generation, and from the beachgoer to the urban traveler — we have it all,” Delgado said.

“We had a really good March,” especially compared to other destinations throughout the state, Eddie Kirsch, director of digital and data for Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, said during Wednesday’s meeting.

While hotel and vacation rental occupancies remained flat in March - around 83 to 84 percent - the average daily rate for hotels and average spending on retail and entertainment, increased in March.

Watch the full meeting and report below: