Much has been made of the tourist boom in Pinellas County. In fact, March 2013 was the best tourism month in Pinellas’ history. There were myriad factors, including an early Easter, an improved domestic economy and increased targeting of the New York market.
But the biggest percentage hike–7.5 per cent–was in European visitors, the ones we especially like because they don’t come here on the cheap. And the biggest reason their numbers are up: the success of Edelweiss Airline’s non-stop flights from Zurich, Switzerland to Tampa International Airport. It’s the Tampa Bay area’s first direct route to continental Europe in 15 years. As a result, local Swiss and Eastern European numbers have never been higher.
It’s yet another reminder of how synergistic this market–from Ybor City to world-class beaches–truly is. And for all of our differences–from transportation approaches to facilitating a Rays’ future–we need each other like never before.