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Tourism Rebounds in Pinellas County, Fla.

By Ted Jackovics, Tampa Tribune, Fla.
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jan. 15--CLEARWATER -- Although the final returns aren't in yet, Pinellas County expects that 2003 was a record year for numbers of overnight visitors, with an estimated 4.8 million surpassing the previous high of 4.7 million in 2001.

This year's outlook remains positive, as European visitors enjoy an increasingly favorable return on currency versus the U.S. dollar, and travel, hotels and other retail purchases become more affordable, Pinellas tourism consultant Walter Klages said Wednesday.

"Tourism is an export industry," Klages said. "We are cheap and getting cheaper by the minute."

Key Northeast and Midwest U.S. markets also were strong in November, Klages added.

Klages reported that Pinellas drew more than 4.4 million visitors the first 11 months of 2003, a 2.3 percent increase the same period in 2002.

"According to what I'm told, December was very strong, with good weather and pent-up demand, " said Carole Ketterhagen, executive director of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Business from all geographic areas is up at the TradeWinds Beach Resorts & Conference Centers, said Tim Bogott, president and chief executive of the St. Pete Beach complex.

"Everything is shaping up as a very good and strong year in 2004," Klages said.

He said the economy is in recovery, although job reports might not indicate the strength of the rebound. Companies that got lean through thinning their jobs seek to retain production levels without making new hires, he said.

-----To see more of the Tampa Tribune -- including its homes, jobs, cars and other classified listings -- or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to www.tampatrib.com

(c) 2004, Tampa Tribune, Fla. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

 
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