Destination Innovation

Visit Tampa Bay is a poster child for innovation within the travel industry. We know who we are, and we embrace it. Our pirate-inspired logo is a perfect example because it stands out amongst a sea of other logos donning palm trees and sunshine. And while palm trees and sunshine represent Florida well, I’d much rather have a future traveler remark, “I love that logo!”

From our unique lock-and-key branding, award-winning campaigns, longstanding multicultural efforts and much more, Visit Tampa Bay prides itself on being trendsetters.

We strongly believe innovation is only possible with the help of our partners and community. Our unwavering commitment to those stakeholders is a priority and vital part of our destination’s growth. Frequently our team will contact community partners to brainstorm ideas or resolve situations in an innovative manner.

Tampa Bay has transformed into a dynamic destination for leisure visitors and meeting attendees. We lead integrated creative campaigns that focus on our exciting experiences and community redevelopment that has changed Tampa’s perception both domestically and internationally. 

We produce unprecedented success on two levels: in tourism advocacy within the destination and in visitation from outside the destination. Within the destination, our team leads an ongoing campaign to position us as a key player in the economic development efforts of Tampa and Hillsborough County.  Working with hundreds of industry partners and local media, we have shaped the economic narrative in a way that emphasizes the role tourism plays in supporting local families, building careers, and driving future growth of the local economy. Those innovated efforts helped develop public support for tourism marketing in Tampa Bay. All economic development advertising from the EDC carry Visit Tampa Bay branding.

Under my leadership, Tampa Bay has grown steadily as a desirable destination for travelers, due to innovative advertising and targeted public relations. The destination’s annual domestic Out-of-State campaign continues to blaze new innovated ground for destination marketing organizations by using streaming services like Roku, wrapping ride-sharing vehicles through Uber and Lyft, and figuring prominently on solar-powered recycling receptacles.

Targeted initiatives include: the team’s efforts to position Tampa Bay as the #1 craft beer destination in Florida and the innovative project to position the region as a culinary destination by capturing the region’s booming foodie culture in a way that allows visitors to celebrate a century of local food history. Through my vision and guidance, Visit Tampa Bay’s new culinary journal, Tampa’s Table, brought together 60 restaurants and chefs, who provided 50 recipes representing the best, most creative culinary minds in the destination.

Innovation quickly became inevitable for the entire industry as 2020 posed unique challenges for tourism and hospitality around the world. Many had to redefine what it meant to be a destination marketing organization altogether to protect the desire and ambition for travel.

In the past, Visit Tampa Bay had teamed up with various destinations to promote the region through advertising campaigns that allowed our dollars to stretch further. That same mentality led the team to unite more than 10 Gulf Coast destinations on a bi-weekly basis to share ideas and explore new opportunities.

Rising tides lift all boats. This idea carried through to all our initiatives that year. We hosted webinars with partners such as Tampa General Hospital and our friends across the bay at Visit St. Pete/Clearwater. While our attraction partners were temporarily closed, we partnered with them to create Tampa Bay-inspired puzzles and crosswords and virtual experiences. We continued to promote our local restaurants through a new delivery and takeout database.

To keep our community safe, we worked with a local foundation to donate sanitizers and other essentials to our industry colleagues who had been laid off or furloughed. We partnered with a local catering company to serve meals to those affected by the pandemic in the industry and donated proceeds of our destination cookbooks to Feeding Tampa Bay.

Our team continues to make Visit Tampa Bay relevant through innovate teamwork with community partners. I encourage all innovators to do the same. Your roles might fluctuate from time to time, but it keeps ideas fresh and allows your team, and yourself, to think bigger, better, and savvier no matter the circumstance.

ABOUT VISIT TAMPA BAY

The heart of Florida’s Gulf Coast beats in Tampa Bay. Visit Tampa Bay encourages adventurous travelers to unlock sun, fun and culture in Florida’s most diverse travel destination. As a not-for-profit corporation certified by Destinations International’s Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), we work with hundreds of partners to tell the world the story of Tampa Bay. Treasure awaits.

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