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April destination metrics: TDT inches up; visitor profile shows rise in social‑media planning and more group travel
Summary
Visit St. Pete Clearwater presented April data showing TDT up about 1.5% for the month, combined March–April within 3% of last year, strong rates and occupancy in Clearwater Beach and St. Petersburg, and changes in visitor motivations and behaviors including higher social‑media planning and more group travel.
Eddie, a Visit St. Pete Clearwater analytics staff member, presented destination metrics for April and a combined March–April visitor profile, reporting that April transient‑rental tax (TDT) receipts were up about 1.5% compared with the prior year and that March and April combined were within about 3% of the previous year.
Eddie said Clearwater Beach and Saint Petersburg showed particularly strong growth in April and noted that average daily rate (ADR) remained strong, which helped revenue per available unit despite mixed supply and demand trends. He said vacation rental supply grew in 2024 and demand is still recovering; hotel supply was slightly down and demand showed some volatility but revenue per available room remained competitive.
On visitor profile findings, Eddie said the monthly survey samples roughly 400–500 visitors and that combined March–April data showed a decrease in visitors listing “vacation” as their primary reason to visit and a rise in visiting friends and family. He also said social media is an increasingly important pre‑arrival planning resource and that nearly 70% of visitors reported having seen or heard travel stories or promotions about St. Pete–Clearwater prior to arrival.
Other notable behavioral shifts Eddie highlighted included increases in museum visits, festivals and boating activities, growth in visitation to Clearwater Beach, Madeira, Dunedin and Tarpon Springs, and a rise in visitors from New York following marketing investments in that market. He noted a modest increase in travel‑party size (more groups of friends) and a slight decrease in average length of stay (more travelers staying 3–5 nights versus 6+ nights in prior years). Eddie said the average age in the visitor surveys is about 49 and that social‑media planning tends to skew younger but is used across demographics.
Eddie closed by offering to provide more granular breakdowns of social‑media usage and other survey details on request; board members encouraged further segmentation by age and platform to inform marketing decisions.
