It’s hardly a coincidence.
Fiscal year 2014 was a banner year in Hillsborough County for tourism. The final figure was a bed tax collection record of $23.7 million in tourist development taxes, according to Visit Tampa Bay, the county’s official tourism arm. The previous record was $21.8 million in 2007.
It, thus, makes sense that for the first time in its 49-year history, the Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism will come here next year for a first-hand look at what’s been changing. Last month, the annual gathering of about 1,000 was held in Boca Raton.