They propose spending $30,000 to profile the county's visitors to better market its attractions.
By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET
Published May 6, 2004
NEW PORT RICHEY - Hoping to get a better glimpse of Pasco County's tourists - who they are, what brings them here and how to lure them back - the county's Tourist Development Council signed off Wednesday on a $30,000 "visitors profile" study.
The proposed yearlong study, which awaits final approval by the County Commission, would use a one-page survey distributed to thousands of visitors at hotels, festivals and other attractions.
The survey would ask visitors how they heard about Pasco County, what information they used to plan their trip, what spots they visited and what they want to get out of their vacation.
The answers would help people like Diane Jones, the county's tourism information coordinator, fine-tune Pasco's marketing strategy to reach the most likely visitors. The information could also help businesses and festival organizers put together vacation packages that would appeal to tourists.
"The more informed we are, the better we can do our job," said Tourist Development Council member Jack Phethean. "If you don't spend the money (on the study), you might continue to go down the wrong path."
The study, which would be conducted by the University of Florida's Center for Tourism Research and Development, would be covered by tourism tax dollars. The tax is collected on hotel rooms and other short-term lodging to pay for promoting tourism.
In other tourism news, the Cotee River Seafood Festival & Boat Show has been named one of the Top 20 events this quarter by the Southeast Tourism Society. The list features "the best events" in an 11-state region that runs from Louisiana to Virginia.
The seafood festival will be held this weekend in New Port Richey.
- Bridget Hall Grumet covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is bhall@sptimes.com
