Photos by Wyatt Kostygan. Above: Paul Phipps. Top: Rick Piccolo makes a point while Elliott Falcione listens intently.

While increasing tourism from overseas remains a priority for hospitality leaders in Florida, the region shouldn’t forget that the core pool of visitors to the Gulf Coast come from within the United States. “We are a domestic destination that international travelers are intrigued by because Americans say this is a place to go,” said Paul Phipps, Visit Florida’s chief marketing officer.

Experts speaking at the most recent installment of the SRQ-sponsored SB2 forum series, The Tourist Agenda: Making the Most of a Travel Economy, touched on this matter and others while discussing ways to keep a healthy flow of travel into this area. After Phipps gave a keynote address, a panel of local tourism voices took the stage to answer questions from SRQ Publisher Wes Roberts and from guests at the event.

Laurie Pike, Florida director of sales and marketing for MPH Hotels, said she has learned various hospitality venues will attract visitors from different origin markets. “It’s a very different world on the beaches and on the mainland,” she said, noting when she worked a seaside resort, 30 percent of visitors were international but that the Comfort Suites she works with in this region draw 90 percent of guests from domestic travel. In this market, an enormous amount of hotel use comes from corporations in this area booking rooms or space.

The biggest push in opening new markets will be in an increase in direct flights to the region, panelists agreed. Rick Piccolo, president and CEO for Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, said the top international market for visitors flying here is Canada, but many do originate in the United Kingdom and Germany even though there are not direct flights coming here from Europe. He said negotiating more destinations, though, can be challenging. “We have seen the eight major carriers in the United States become the four major carriers,” he said. “They are operating as an oligopoly.” That often means the airlines are more interested in keeping airlines at capacity than in meeting demand for more flights.

Elliott Falcione, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director, said the major focus for his agency is getting new visitors to come here. “First-timers come back 94 percent of the time,” he said. “So who do we target? The first timers.” He hopes to see flights to markets like Dallas. But he also stressed that it is important that the region attracts visitors who will bring an economic impact. He noted that the number of visitors to the Bradenton area in March dropped 1.2 percent but that didn’t matter to the hospitality industry because revenue raised per available room was up 4 percent.

And in a region where tourism remains the top industry, the panelists said the economic significance of hospitality needs to be commented to the region. Jeffrey Mayers, general manager of the Resort at Longboat Key Club, said 20 percent of the labor force in this community is directly or indirectly impacted by tourism and hospitality. He also noted his resort’s parent company, Ocean Properties, continues to invest here with enthusiasm. “We are very bullish, and with all the cranes you see in the community, you can see other developers feel the same way,” he said.

Photos by Wyatt Kostygan. Above: Paul Phipps. Top: Rick Piccolo makes a point while Elliott Falcione listens intently.