St. Pete/Clearwater opens its proposal for Latin American tourism and especially to Argentines, who regularly arrive in Miami and Orlando and should not miss the opportunity to visit the "best beaches in the US" for a few days, according to the opinions of visitors to the TripAdvisor platform, for example.

Where is? St. Pete/Clearwater is close to traditional destinations like Orlando, Miami, and just minutes from Tampa.

It is a destination to take advantage of with a package that complements the visit to the Orlando parks with a few days in St. Pete/Clearwater to enjoy the paradisiacal beaches, its cultural offer and excellent gastronomy.

It has guaranteed sunny days throughout the year and a record of almost 700 consecutive sunny days, a few decades ago. Its beaches are on the west coast of Florida, an hour and a half from Orlando, by highway. And in minutes from the Tampa airport.

We visited the destination to have all the news and we appreciate the willingness of Steve Hayes, President & CEO of Visit St. Pete Clearwater, for an interview, which was the first for Latin America and especially for Argentina.

Interview with Steve Hayes, President and CEO of Visit St. Pete Clearwater:

St. Pete Clearwater seems to us to be a wonderful place that part of the Latino public knows very little or does not know. What are the main attractions that St. Pete Clearwater highlights so that the tourist wants to come or that a travel agent can sell the destination?

St. Pete/Clearwater is known around the world for our beaches. That's 35 miles of white-sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico that have been recognized by everyone from TripAdvisor to Dr. Beach, plus a host of different entities that have highlighted how fun they are, how wonderful they are, and how wonderful they are. how relaxing they are. So that's our #1 draw," says Steve Hayes.

"Then #2 is the vibe of the communities that we have and represent: We have 24 different communities that depending on where you go you get a different vibe, one very exclusive, there's another one where it's pretty quiet and relaxing, another one where there's a lot of activities, it really depends on the mood they're in when they visit and start looking for the experiences that we offer."

Tourists looking for sun and sand are beginning to look for other experiences. What do we offer, for example, at a cultural and gastronomic level?

"Food is probably one of the best things we have. In fact, you won't find chain restaurants. You will find places that have a unique flavor, so if you are looking for and want to find good Cuban food, we have that offer. If you want good seafood, you have one of the best seafood restaurants I've ever been to. They combine soul food flavors with seafood to give you a kind of Caribbean soul feeling. No matter where you are, there's always something to discover."

"For those who enjoy culture we have The Dalí Museum (The Dalí Museum) is probably the highlight, but I also like glass art. You can see blown glass works in the Imagine Museum as a sample of the Chihuly Collection. Seeing that is amazing, it's like walking into the arts district and being able to watch someone create or even walk by and create this masterpiece that you can then take home."

What is the way to get to St. Pete Clearwater? It is easy?
Air connection or by vehicle?

Getting here is easy, probably with a connection through Miami or via Orlando (an hour and a half away by highway). Maybe in a Non-Stop you can get to Tampa International, which is the main airport here in the Tampa Bay area (a few minutes by car). There are a wide variety of different airlines."

Is it true that Clearwater was the home of the famous winter dolphin?

"Yes, one of the best places to visit is Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Over the years thousands of people have come to see Winter the dolphin. Winter was the dolphin that lost its tail and was taken in for rehabilitation. They created a new one for him tail so they could live in the aquarium pools and later starred in a series of hit movies like Dolphin Tale 1 and 2."

 Is it a family destination or for a specific profile of tourists?

"How about if I tell you that it is a destination for everyone? Both for families, but also for those who vacation alone. Couples, older couples who no longer come with their children, whether it is a family or people who come in a group. We really have a nice experience for everyone."

Is it a year-round destination?

"We definitely went back to being a destination for the whole year because, for example for Argentines during our summer it is their winter, so they will continue to come here, but the best time to be here could be in our winter, which would be your summer. Any time of the year is good, depending on the visitor's need at the time."

 What role does tourism play in the economy and development of the region?

"Tourism is extremely important to us, to our county and cities. In fact, international visitors make up about 12% of our total visits, but you should be aware that the year-round economic impact of visitors to our economy was 9 billion dollars.

We appreciate the predisposition and collaboration provided for this interview by Andrea Gabel, sales manager and José Ramírez, Sales Representative of St. Pete/Clearwater.

 

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