Pinellas County has authorized nearly $4 million in contracts with firms that promote St. Pete-Clearwater in Europe, part of a years-long effort to bring more international travelers to the area. County commissioners recently added another $575,000 to keep that work going through September 2027.

International Tourism Value

Visit St. Pete-Clearwater officials say international travelers, while a relatively small share of the area’s visitors, are especially valuable to the local tourism economy. International travelers make up less than 10% of all visitors, but they spend hundreds of millions of dollars in the region each year.

Travelers from the United Kingdom spent $285.5 million across the broader Tampa-St. Pete area in 2025. German travelers spent another $101.8 million. These estimates cover the larger Tampa-St. Pete area, not just Pinellas County.

Targeting New Markets

Pinellas is also beginning to look beyond the countries where it has spent years promoting itself. Visit St. Pete-Clearwater has tested efforts to attract travelers from Central and South America, where new and expanding flights are making Tampa Bay easier to reach.

Visits from Brazil increased 21.9% in 2025, while spending by Brazilian travelers jumped 25.5% to $49.2 million. Brazil still sends far fewer people to the area than Canada, the United Kingdom or Germany. But the increase gives Pinellas another place to look for travelers as some of its biggest international sources struggle.

Original reporting: St. Pete Catalyst — read the source article.