TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay is seeing tourism numbers like never before.

After three decades, 2025 marked the strongest year yet for Visit Tampa Bay, ending the fiscal year on September 30 with more than $1.2 billion in taxable hotel revenue.

And 2026 is already off to a strong start.

What You Need To Know

Tampa surpassed $1.2 billion in taxable hotel revenue in 2025, the most it has ever seen

Visit Tampa Bay recently launched a new ad campaign called Go and You’ll Know to encourage new visitors to explore all Tampa has to offer 

Major conventions are booked solid throughout 2026

NHL Stadium Series happens at Raymond James Stadium on February 1

Major sporting events are helping drive early momentum, including the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium this week, which follows last week’s Gasparilla Bowl.

Together, the events are bringing tens of thousands of fans into the area and helping set the tone for a busy tourism season.

Visit Tampa Bay is also rolling out a new tourism campaign called “Go and You’ll Know.” The campaign includes online, print, and TV ads designed to spark curiosity and encourage travelers to discover experiences that are unique to Tampa Bay.

Looking ahead, convention travel is expected to provide a steady base of visitors throughout 2026, with at least one major convention scheduled every month.

According to Visit Tampa Bay CEO Santiago Corrada, many of those groups are now going beyond economic impact by participating in community service efforts through an initiative called Meeting the Moment.

“Whether it’s working with Feeding Tampa Bay, Habitat for Humanity, or doing book drives, backpack drives, or planting mangroves, we recognize those groups because what they’re doing goes well beyond the dollars they’re spending here,” Corrada said.

Sports tourism continues to play a major role as well. In February, Tampa Bay will host the NHL Stadium Series hockey game at Raymond James Stadium on February 1, bringing even more visitors to the region.

With record-setting numbers and a packed calendar ahead, Tampa Bay tourism leaders say the momentum shows no signs of slowing down.