COVID-19 Industry Update
December 3, 2020
The Thanksgiving holiday week not only brought a pandemic-high of TSA checkpoint traveler numbers across the country, but St. Pete/Clearwater also saw a new high-water mark for weekly occupancy performance year-over-year.
According to the latest STR data, St. Pete/Clearwater was just 2.7% behind last year’s occupancy for the week of Nov. 22-28. While year-over-year weekly Average Daily Rate numbers have eclipsed 2019 levels at times during the pandemic, a single week of STR occupancy numbers has yet to reach that same milestone.
While Visit St. Pete/Clearwater recently launched a $4.5 million winter-time advertising campaign, it’s also continuing to focus on visitors traveling safely and responsibly as COVID-19 cases climb across the country, state and county. Local businesses of all kinds can still opt-in to VSPC’s free campaign to spread awareness of the county’s local mask mandate. SIGN UP here to receive posters, decals, buttons, masks and the digital toolkit.
To date, VSPC’s awareness efforts for locals and visitors to “Spread Out. Mask Up.” have generated more than 113 million impressions---primarily in Pinellas County---across TV, radio, bus wraps, digital billboards, programmatic online advertising, digital radio, YouTube, social media and connected TV.
We remind our many partners to continue being vigilant with the county’s local mask mandate because in order to shine we first must rise.
Below are a number of other timely updates.
2021 CO-OP ADVERTISING SUBMISSION DAY NEXT TUESDAY AT 9 A.M.
The first-come, first-serve submission day for VSPC’s annual co-operative advertising program begins at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8. This year’s program includes a 1:1:1 matching program with highly-targeted Sojern efforts. Complete details on the program can be found here.
2021 GULF TO BAY ADVERTISING SALES CLOSING SOON
As production on the ninth edition of Gulf to Bay, VSPC’s award-winning destination magazine, begins, the Tampa Bay Times has opened up advertising sales. The magazine is slated for 500,000 copies that will be distributed world-wide, including targeted newspaper insertions in key feeder markets next summer. Take a look at this year’s media kit, which includes pricing, and reserve your spot today.
ST. PETE’S ART SCENE, NEW PIER HIGHLIGHTED IN MIAMI HERALD STORY
Resulting from VSPC’s recent media relations efforts, a story titled “Miami can’t have all the art fun. Here’s why a sophisticated art-scape to St. Pete is a must in 2021” was published on behalf of the Miami Herald’s luxury insert, INDULGE, recently. The story can be viewed online here and in print here.
ST. PETE PIER UP FOR BEST NEW U.S. ATTRACTION OF 2021
The new St. Pete Pier is battling 19 other new attractions from around the U.S. in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Other nominees include the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the Mississippi Aquarium and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, among others. Voting goes through noon on Dec. 21 and the winner will be announced at noon on Dec. 31. You can vote for the St. Pete Pier once per day HERE.
LISTENING SESSIONS FOR DOWNTOWN ST. PETE MOBILITY STUDY ON DEC. 10
Forward Pinellas, the City of St. Petersburg and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) are holding two online listening sessions for the Downtown St. Pete Mobility Study from 8-9 a.m. and noon-1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10. Participants will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on how to create a safe and accessible downtown for everyone. Space is limited and registration for the morning session here and the afternoon session here.
U.S. LAND BORDERS WITH CANADA, MEXICO CLOSED UNTIL AT LEAST DEC. 21
The United States’ land borders with Canada and Mexico are expected to remain closed to non-essential travel until Dec. 21 at the earliest amid a rising number of U.S. coronavirus cases, a Homeland Security Department official told Reuters. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has indicated the U.S.-Canada border may stay closed well into 2021, too.
VSPC OFFERS FREE RESOURCES FOR IMPROVING BUSINESS’ DIGITAL FOOTPRINT
In tandem with Miles Partnership, VSPC has created business resources to navigate the web’s different platforms and optimize a business’ digital footprint beyond its website, including the following:
