Patrick Harrison, Visit Tampa Bay's chief marketing officer, kicked off the new $1.1 million 'Ready to Play' campaign, noting that, despite "zero damage" from the recent Hurricane Milton, the destination still "need[s] to change perceptions" about its readiness to welcome tourists
Open arms
A lucky escape from Milton's damage meant that "everything was up and running within about 48 hours." Shortly after that, Patrick and the Visit Tampa Bay team were quick to begin conversations around shifting the destination's messaging to one of welcoming, open arms.
"November and December do not tend to be times when we do a lot of advertising... people's minds are on other things. Usually, we wait until the first week of January when the booking window starts picking up, but it is important to show that we are fully open and the sun is shining."
Visit Tampa Bay's president and CEO, Santiago C. Corrada, added, "Taking a strong stance in the UK and highlighting that Tampa Bay is Ready is an important part of our strategy and we look forward to welcoming even more of our UK friends."
In spite of its unorthodox timing, the campaign has already begun to make a splash; Patrick said that limited insights from GDS bookings suggest the destination is far ahead of where they were in terms of advance bookings this time last year, reflecting "an impetus and a resilience in the market" in Tampa's favour.
Leaving no stone unturned
Beyond ensuring guests are well aware of Tampa's open arms, the campaign strives to leave "no stone unturned," with messaging that spotlights Tampa's readiness to Play, Adventure, Relax, Cheer, Connect, and Thrill.
Findings already suggest that such variety is one of the leading factors in visitor satisfaction; Patrick continued, "When we do our research, one of the things that stands out to visitors about Tampa Bay is the breadth of offerings and visitors' belief in those offerings' authenticity. It isn't a one-dimensional destination... [the campaign] is about showing that we are not a one-trick pony."
The destination's commitment to leaving no stone unturned extends to its approach to the travel trade. "We are keen to make sure we hit every possible avenue... amazingly, some agents will see our consumer campaigns and reach out regarding trade activity.
"Coming out of the situation we have with Covid-19, people are now a little more reliant on that independent and trustworthy voice of the travel agent. That voice is hugely important to us."
While the 'Ready to Play' campaign continues across both consumer and trade channels throughout November and December, Visit Tampa Bay offers year-round materials for agents including the regularly-updated Visit Tampa Bay Specialist training programme, example itineraries, and sales & marketing assets via its trade hub.
Patrick Harrison is the chief marketing officer of Visit Tampa Bay.
