There is more than just the beach and theme parks to enjoy when visiting Tampa Bay, such as: B. Eastern Hillsborough County backwater exploration.

By Brad Stager

From theme parks with wild rides to remote natural wilderness, there is plenty of relaxation for local residents. These attractions are popular with visitors to the area too, and the Hillsborough County Tourist Development Council (TDC) is committed to making them feel welcome while creating opportunities for related businesses.

The parish council is preparing a plan for the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to develop Hillsborough County tourism and recommending ways to spend tourist tax revenue.

The TDC has 11 members, including seven residents with ties to the local tourism and hotel industries, who are appointed by the BOCC for a four-year term. The council also includes elected officials from Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City and the BOCC. Meetings take place quarterly or at the invitation of the Council Chair, a position held by the BOCC Chair, currently Commissioner Les Miller.

Meetings are currently held in a hybrid format, with a quorum of TDC officials meeting in person and the public participating virtually, with the option to comment on committee business. Meetings can be viewed online through the county website or YouTube channel. The next TDC meeting will take place on Friday, May 14th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The final meeting on February 11 provided an opportunity for members to review the financial impact of the pandemic on tourism revenue. It included a presentation by Santiago Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, which included detailed hotel occupancy figures for the area and showed that tourist accommodations in Eastern Hillsborough County performed better than areas more dependent on convention or theme park traffic.

“You have done very, very well throughout the pandemic. It’s the top performing submarket in all of Hillsborough County, ”Corrada said during the meeting.

Hotel occupancy for Eastern Hillsborough County declined 14.6 percent in the first quarter of fiscal year, compared to a 51.7 percent decrease in downtown Tampa.

Individuals interested in working at TDC, when the opportunity to do so, must be registered to vote in the county and can access the required application and disclosure forms online at HCFLGov.net by going to the Boards and Committees section of the website. You can also call 276-2737 for more information.