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Adam Thomas

Snow in Florida? This local theme park brings it

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The local forecast was a toasty 85 degrees and sunny — yet somehow there was snow and ice.

At Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park, those contradictory climate conditions are the norm.

This is the main entrance to Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park in Dade City. The 20-acre property is promoted as the first-ever snow park in Florida. The seasonal facility will generally be open between November and March each year. (Kevin Weiss)

Florida’s first-ever snow park is now open for business, at 27839 Saint Joe Road in Dade City.

The wintry theme park was officially unveiled during a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony last month.

There are three main attractions on the 20-acre site.

The most prominent of them is called Snowy Slopes.

It’s a 60-foot-tall, 400-foot-long snow tubing hill featuring single, tandem and family-style snowtubing.

While the adrenaline-charged attraction doesn’t actually feature snow per se, there is a thin layer of ice spread along the 25-lane downhill slopes, where speeds can reach up to 25 mph.

A Florida-style Santa Claus, Tampa Bay Lightning’s Thunderbug and the Tampa Bay Rays’ Raymond all came out to the celebrate the opening of Florida’s first snow park. (Kelli Carmack)

And, it’s not a hike up the hill, as riders are transported to the top via a pair of moving walkway conveyor lifts.

Meanwhile, the ‘real’ — or more precisely ‘manmade’ — snow is found at the park’s Arctic Igloo attraction, a 10,000-square-foot enclosed circular space that is covered in snow, which is thick enough to build snowmen, and make snow angels and snowballs.

The 50-foot-tall rounded igloo also features a bunny slope for kids age 3 and younger.

And, just because you’re heading to this snow park in Florida — don’t forget to bring your jacket. Temperatures in the dome hover at 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Situated between the steep slopes and snowy igloo is Alpine Village, an expansive concourse area that exhibits a line of local vendors offering an assortment of food, drinks, beer, wine, craft goods and holiday gift shopping.

Snowcat Ridge’s most prominent feature is its alpine snow slope. The 60-foot-tall, 400-foot-long snowtubing hill features single, tandem and family style tubing. While the adrenaline-charged attraction doesn’t actually feature snow per se, there is a thin layer of ice spread along the 25-lane downhill slopes. Tubing speeds can reach up to 25 mph. (Kelli Carmack)

The open walking space also features a campfire seating area — perfect for roasting s’mores and drinking hot cocoa — along tables and benches that offer a scenic view of the slopes. It takes on added importance in the evening hours, where a nighttime music and light show takes place atop the slopes.

Snowcat Ridge, which broke ground in March, has been in the making for some five years, according to Benjamin Nagengast, the park’s CEO.

The attraction sits on land adjacent to other popular attractions the Nagengast family operates: TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure and Scream-A-Geddon Horror Park.

Turning Snowcat Ridge from vision to reality took millions of dollars in investment and “a lot of engineering and research and feasibility,” Nagengast said. “A lot of folks didn’t think it was possible, (but) it is possible,” he said.

The looming question everyone asks: So, how do you make it snow in Florida?

“Two parts magic, one part water,” Nagengast quipped, when describing the snowmaking process.

A conveyor belt transports riders to the top of a 60-foot-tall, 400-foot-long snowtubing hill, known as Snowy Slopes. (Kelli Carmack)

He also joked that it would take a two-hour lecture to explain the process. Then, he said,  “suffice it to say that we use a lot of new technology to be able to do it, without using very much water at all, actually, and we’re able to keep the snow cold.”

Snowmaking machines and cooling systems are running throughout the park 24 hours a day.

Since work ramped up in early Spring, the project experienced various construction and equipment delays amid the coronavirus pandemic and tropical storm scares, Nagengast said.

The park recently endured a setback when Tropical Storm Eta blew through, knocking out the power.

The incident caused the park to “start from scratch” in producing snow, ice and other frozen materials, he said.

Snowcat Ridge CEO Benjamin Nagengast speaks at the theme park’s Nov. 20 ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony in Dade City. The Nagengast family also owns nearby TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure and Scream-A-Geddon Horror Park. (Kelli Carmack)

The park’s CEO put the journey toward getting to opening day into perspective: “There’s been a lot of different challenges in keeping our staff safe, and there’s been plenty of additional expenses, but I will say we’re very happy that Florida has taken a stance to make sure that people are safe, while still being able to get outside and enjoy facilities like this.”

Daily attendance will be capped at the park — with the aim of creating a more intimate, enjoyable experience for visitors and families, while at the same time adhering to COVID-19 health and safety protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“When you’re out here on Saturday, you will not see thousands of people,” Nagengast said. “We actually keep that number down to make sure that we give a top-notch experience to our customers and make sure they have a great time,” he said.

Initially, the park will prioritize serving locals, and then market to tourists visiting the region.

That strategy has worked with the family’s other attractions, the CEO said.

“We love tourists, but for us, we’ve always found that whenever we service that local population, then the tourists find out about us and they tour it as well,” Nagengast said.

Local tourism officials, meanwhile, are buzzing about the park’s potential to attract visitors to the county, the greater Tampa Bay area, and Central Florida as a whole.

Just beyond the Alpine Village shopping and dining area is the snow-filled Arctic Igloo, a 10,000-square-foot enclosed circular space covered in snow thick enough to build snowmen, and make snow angels and snowballs. Temperatures measure some 30 degrees Fahrenheit inside the 50-foot-tall dome. (Kelli Carmack)

Pasco County tourism director Adam Thomas was seen donning a thick scarf despite the warm conditions at the park reveal.

When the county last year rebranded it’s marketing destination as Florida’s Sports Coast, he joked, “We really weren’t anticipating to add snowtubing and snowball fights to our destination’s repertoire of activities.”

Thomas underscored his excitement: “What’s more unique than a mouse, a rollercoaster and a beach? A snow park in Florida, right? How amazing is that?”

VisitFlorida regional partnership manager Jen Carlisle was similarly enthusiastic about how Snowcat Ridge fits into the area’s tourism and visitor portfolio of attraction.

It is, she said, “a huge win for our tourism state and our tourism economy.”

“Florida is renowned for its beautiful weather and diverse array of destinations and attractions, and while we get to enjoy summertime all year round, with Snowcat Ridge we now have the best of winter right here at our fingertips in Florida’s Sports Coast,” Carlisle said.

The project, she added, “will surely enhance the unique Sunshine State vacation experience for all, and for many years to come.”

Snowcat Ridge is a winter snow park, giving visitors a chance to go snowtubing, engage in snowball fights, make snow angels and have other wintry fun.
Where: 27839 Saint Joe Road, Dade City
When: Operates daily, except Christmas, from around November through March
Park hours in December are 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., on Friday and Saturday
Cost: Tickets start at $24.95.
Info: Visit snowcatridge.com, or call 813-576-1450.

Pasco’s branding effort wins big award

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Experience Florida’s Sports Coast — Pasco County’s brand for its tourism efforts — has received Sports ETA’s 2019 “Destination Branding & Marketing Campaign of the Year” for places with a population exceeding 500,000.

The award goes to the destination member “with the most outstanding comprehensive marketing campaign for its organization during the 2019 calendar year,” according to a news release from Sports ETA.

The effort can include “a variety of types of marketing: print ads, newsletters, email blasts, digital marketing, press releases, media coverage or any other promotional program. The campaign should promote the sports destination.”

To update its brand and increase awareness of itself as a destination, Pasco County rebranded itself as Experience Florida’s Sports Coast.

“The new name and campaign showcase not only sport tourism activities, but consumer experiences in the area. The campaign included a new innovative website, which gives viewers a look at the state-of-the-art facilities, winning attractions and experiences that can be enjoyed in Pasco County,” the release says.

Adam Thomas, tourism director at Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, reacted to the award this way: “We are extremely honored and grateful to even be included in the conversation for a branding and marketing award from Sports ETA.

“The Florida’s Sports Coast team has been working hard on promoting the destination and really creating that brand awareness in the marketplace for our visitors,” he said.

The 28th annual Sports ETA Symposium was cancelled earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2019 award winners also will be recognized at next year’s Symposium from April 26 through April 29 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Published November 11, 2020

Discussion continues on Pasco BMX park

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A BMX and bicycle park may not happen anytime soon in Pasco County, but officials appear to be interested in seeing what can be done to bring the idea to life.

The Pasco County Commission heard a briefing on the concept at its Sept. 8 meeting.

Delaney Morrison, president of the nonprofit Ride Local Inc., outlined the vision for a new large-scale BMX (bicycle motocross) park, that she said would complement existing BMX parks in the region, would expand the area’s recreational offerings and would help to attract more tourists to Pasco County.

Shown here are riders at Tampa BMX in Lutz. A nonprofit organization called Ride Local Inc., is trying to bring a covered BMX track and other amenities to Pasco County. (File)

The idea is to partner with the county to construct a BMX track and bike park on a 23-acre tract situated of the intersection of State Road 54 and Gunn Highway in the Odessa/Trinity area. The land is presently owned by Pasco County Utilities.

Under the proposal, about 3 acres would be used for a BMX dirt race course made of various jumps and rollers.

That would mark the first stage of a larger, surrounding bike park that would include a pump track, skate park, mountain bike obstacle course, casual bike path and other features.

The proposal calls for having an open air, covered track.

“We think that this is super important here in Florida, given the heat and the rain that we have,” Delaney said.  “We really think that that roof will set us apart from just having another BMX track.”

She also noted there would be opportunities for recreational leagues and a beginner’s program for newcomers to the off-road racing sport. And, the facility would host large-scale competitive events sanctioned by USA BMX.

The open space also could be used for drone races, truck rallies, and Boy Scouts of America and All-Pro Dad meet-ups, among other activities, Morrison said.

Over the past year or so, Morrison and her team have had ongoing discussions with Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey and Keith Wiley, the county’s director of parks, recreation and natural resources.

“They came to me because of my background with cycling and biking,” said Starkey, who helped to Delaney’s group find the proposed site.

It’s an excellent location, Delaney noted, because it’s along the booming State Road 54 corridor, sits along the Tower Road extension and near a future high school, whose adjacent lot could be used for overflow parking for large events.

She also noted that it’s in the middle of some huge community developments, such as Asturia and Starkey Ranch, and others being built in the area.

Plus, she said, the location also pairs well with Tampa BMX and Oldsmar BMX, which is under construction — to attract regional and national tournaments.

Commissioners appear open to the idea, but money is the biggest hurdle.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, who also chairs the Tourist Development Council, said during a recent TDC meeting that the county might be able to support some type of land use or lease deal, but is not in the position to fund additional capital projects.

Moore reiterated the funding issue during the board’s Sept. 8 meeting. He said doesn’t want to give the group false hope.

But, Starkey said Delaney’s briefing was for information only, at this point.

She plans to work with Delaney’s group to explore various funding sources, including possible funding from the legislature and support from private sponsors.

Delaney said the Ride Local Inc., is looking into creative ideas, such as leveraging a corporate naming sponsorship or partnering with an electric company to install solar panels on the proposed covered roof to help offset costs.

Keith Wiley, the county’s director of parks, recreation and natural resources, said a bike park/BMX was listed as one of the highest unmet needs during workshops held to develop the county’s most recent master parks plan.

However, Wiley noted, that type of amenity was not included in the master plan and, thus, no money has been planned for that type of project.

Wiley said he likes the concept of a bike park, with a BMX track, a playground and open spaces because that would address diverse user groups.

Delaney noted BMX’s broad appeal.

“The biggest thing about BMX is that this is a family sport,” Delaney added.

“This is one of the few sports that you can do alongside your children, not just sitting on the sidelines watching them, or waiting for practice to be over.”

Adam Thomas, the county’s tourism director, said the proposed facility could help round out the county’s sports offerings.

“The TDC (Tourism Development Council) board is in full support of this. I am in full support of this,” Thomas told county commissioners.

“This is a great opportunity, for not only our citizens, but to really diversify our product as a Sports Coast, and as our destination of sports events. The economic impact is strong. The visitation is strong. You have a great partner here with Delaney. I think this is a great opportunity for us to move forward, but funding — obviously, everything comes down to funding.”

Published September 16, 2020

Seeking a fun summer adventure? Try scalloping

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Grab a snorkel, a swim mask and some fins —  because recreational scallop season is right around the corner in Pasco County.

The annual 10-day bay scallop season this year in Pasco runs July 17 through July 26. It begins annually on the third Friday in July.

The county’s scallop zone encompasses all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, and includes all waters of the Anclote River.

The 10-day annual recreational bay scallop season returns to Pasco County waters from July 17 through July 26. (Courtesy of Florida’s Sports Coast)

The outdoor adventure activity of hunting for scallops is often referred to as an underwater Easter egg hunt.

Requiring only basic swimming skills, the idea is to float along the top of the water until you spot scallop shells in Florida seagrass beds lying several feet underwater, then you grab them by hand or with a landing or dip net.

For the county’s tourism agency — known as Florida’s Sports Coast — scalloping means big business.

Last year’s 10-day season generated more than a half-million dollars in economic impact, said Florida’s Sports Coast tourism director Adam Thomas.

It is the top leisure activity for the tourism agency, representing about 5% to 6% of all visitation during the fourth quarter in 2019, Thomas said.

Shown here is a map of Pasco County’s scallop zone. It encompasses all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, and includes all waters of the Anclote River. (Courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Since Pasco is the southernmost county in Florida to offer a scallop season, Thomas said the bulk of non-residents partaking in the activity come from the state’s central and southeast regions.

As COVID-19 wiped out many tourism opportunities for Pasco the last several months, Thomas is poised to have scallop season soon underway. “Economically speaking, it’s a need right now,” he said.

Thomas has discovered scalloping in Pasco to be a more pleasant endeavor compared to trying the activity in more northern Florida counties.

A former tourism director for Citrus County, which also has a scallop season, Thomas explained the activity up north is “a little bit more exhausting” because it often requires divers to fight tides in 6 feet or 7 feet of water to collect a decent haul. “It takes a little bit longer to get to your count or your fill of the boat.”

In Pasco, however, he’s found success simply floating in water and catching big enough scallops reaching down 2 feet or 3 feet beneath the surface.

Explained Thomas, “It is so much easier here. You really don’t need fins, depending on the tide. You just float around, you can stand up. The water came up to my thighs, and sometimes my knees. Here, you just float around, let the tide do all your paddling for you.”

Florida’s Sports Coast communications manager Kolby Kucyk Gayson tried scalloping for the first time ever last year, in Pasco waters, of course.

Fair to say, it quickly lured her in.

“It is so much fun. I officially consider myself a Floridian, after having participated in that activity,” Gayson, a North Carolina native, said.

“It’s really a one-of-a-kind thing and it is so easy. It’s just addicting, especially if you’re competitive, like myself, you really could just stay there for hours, and look and scout and dive and grab, so it’s really the best.”

Hunting for scallops is often referred to as an underwater Easter egg hunt. (Courtesy of Florida’s Sports Coast)

Thomas, too, harped on the competitive side of scalloping with friends and family. The tourism director mentioned he often challenges his wife to see who can go underwater the longest and collect the most scallops at once.

On that note, Thomas acknowledged the activity creates lasting memories and family bonds — being out on a boat, fishing for scallops, then cooking hauls for a meal together.

“It’s definitely a generational experience to have,” Thomas said. “My kids, they’re 6 and 8 years old right now, and they love it, they look forward to going scalloping every single year.”

For those who don’t have a personal vessel or boat or a saltwater fishing license, Florida’s Sports Coast officials recommend booking a half-day or full-day private guided charter with a local fishing captain.

“They will always put you right on top of the honey hole,” Gayson said. “They know the scallops, they know where they are and that’s half the fun of going out with a captain, is they really just automatically put you right into the experience.

Pasco County’s tourism arm, Florida’s Sports Coast, says scalloping has become the county’s top leisure activity. (Courtesy of Florida’s Sports Coast)

“You don’t have to bring anything other than sunscreen and just a good attitude, because you’re guaranteed to have a fun time,” Gayson said.

Added Thomas: “We’ve got some of the best captains and guides that really cater to the consumer experience of scalloping, and not only scalloping, but also fishing and being on the water. Not everyone has a boat, but everyone has a means to a boat, and it starts with the Pasco County guides.”

The county’s bay scallop season is a newly rebooted venture.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) granted Pasco an annual scallop season last year, following a successful trial period in 2018.

Before that, it was nearly 25 years since residents and visitors could traverse Pasco waters for scallops.

That’s because the county’s bay scallop season was revoked in 1994 by the FWC, due to over-harvesting and depleted populations that couldn’t sustain an active recreational season.

As for having a scallop season longer than 10 days in the future, Thomas said it will probably take another couple years until the FWC grants the county that opportunity. The ideal scenario would be to someday offer upwards of a 30-day scallop season, he said.

“The (scallop) population has come back, but the sustainability of the population, that’s what the FWC is still trying to determine,” Thomas said.

In anticipation of continued growth in popularity with scalloping, Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources has announced concentrated efforts to expand and improve county boat ramps to provide more trailer parking and overall better launch experiences for both local and out-of-town scallopers.

For more information, visit FLSportsCoast.com/things-to-do/scalloping or MyFWC.com/fishingsaltwater/recreational/bay-scallops.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Scalloping Safety and Fishing Regulations:

  • Scallops must be landed within areas that are open to harvest
  • Active scalloping area: All Pasco County waters and Pinellas County waters north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse, including all waters of the Anclote River
  • Scallops may be collected by hand or with a landing or dip net
  • Daily bag limit: 2 gallons whole bay scallops in shell or one pint of shucked per person; maximum of 10 gallons of scallops in shell or ½-gallon of bay scallop meat per vessel
  • Scallops may not be possessed on waters outside of areas that are open to harvest
  • Properly display a divers-down flag while in the water

Published July 1, 2020

Florida’s Sports Coast seeks rebound from COVID-19

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The months of March and April historically yield the highest tourist development tax revenues seen all year in Pasco County, tourism officials say.

And, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, the county’s tourism arm, was expecting another sunny spring — further buoyed by neighbor Tampa hosting WrestleMania and the NCAA March Madness college basketball tournament, among other nationwide sports attractions.

The $44 million, 98,000-square-foot Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County is still on track for opening this summer, and hosting a slew of multi-purpose sporting events beginning this fall. (File)

Then coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) delivered a lethal blow — coincidently around the time county tourism leaders were set to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Florida’s Sports Coast rebrand.

“This couldn’t have come at a worse time for us,” Florida’s Sports Coast tourism director Adam Thomas told The Laker/Lutz News. “We had new promotions to celebrate and really promote, and really, our balloon got shot down.”

The pandemic didn’t just rain on the tourism agency’s birthday parade. It also forced the postponement or cancellation of at least nine sporting events.

They include:

  • Amateur Athletic Union Florida West Coast Karate Championships in Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill
  • Savage Race and Savage Blitz extreme mud and obstacle course races in Dade City
  • Gran Fondo Florida bicycle race in San Antonio
  • USA Hockey Adult Men’s and Women’s National Championships at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel
  • Florida Premier Football Club Spring Showcase at fields in Land O’ Lakes, Odessa and New Port Richey
  • Caliente Dare to Bare 5K in Land O’ Lakes
  • Amateur Junior Golf Association qualifier event at Saddlebrook Golf Club in Wesley Chapel
  • Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel

But, Florida’s Sports Coast officials aren’t throwing in the towel just yet, even as hotel room nights and economic impact losses pile up.

Thomas said his office is working with the various events rightsholders and decisionmakers in hopes to reschedule many of those postponed events sometime later this year, once travel bans and stay-at-home orders are lifted.

“All we can do is keep those conversations going and keep a positive dialogue with each rightsholder but, at the end of the day, it’s up to them,” the tourism director said.

Meantime, Florida’s Sports Coast officials anticipate a strong rebound from mid-summer onward — as a slew of new sports and recreation facilities are set to come online.

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, Pasco County’s tourism arm, is banking on a strong rebound, despite cancellations resulting from the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Among the most ballyhooed is the $44 million, 98,000-square-foot Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County in Wesley Chapel, which is eyeing a July opening. The indoor multi-purpose sports complex is on track to host eight different events in the fall, beginning with a September volleyball tournament.

Thomas called the facility “the big highlight of our summer,” also noting the venue scored a “major, major event” in basketball for 2021.

The county also expects to reap the benefits of the $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center, set to open late summer. The facility figures to have a global reach and play host to large United States Tennis Association-level tournaments. “It’s a little nugget in our back pocket,” Thomas said.

Moreover, Snowcat Ridge, promoted as the state’s first alpine snow park, is still believed to be on track for a November opening in Dade City.

Florida’s Sports Coast communications manager Kolby Kuyck Gayson said that project is integral to the agency’s recovery plan, “because it’s a brand new attraction and it’s going to be hitting right at the time where we’re expecting people to finally be comfortable really getting out there and traveling.”

The tourism office has other reasons for guarded optimism, too.

The 10-daylong Tohrs2Hot4Ice roller derby national championships remains a go for late June and early July at AdventHealth Center Ice. The event could generate as many as 2,000 room nights and an economic impact north of $4 million, Thomas said.

Florida’s Sports Coast also is doubling down on promoting leisure activities, such as a 10-day bay scallop season along the Anclote River, which hopes to draw families within a 350-mile driving radius across Florida, south Georgia and so on.

Elsewhere, the tourism office is pushing to solicit more business meetings and corporate retreats to county hotels through the end of the year.

Pasco had a record year for tourism  in 2019 — hitting the million-visitor mark for the first time ever.

Per tourism office reports, 1,038,700 million visitors generated 1,217,021 room nights in paid accommodations between October 2018 and September 2019. The county’s annual bed tax collections surpassed $3 million for the first time, in that span.

Thomas acknowledged those numbers will be down across the board this year, but added fiscal year 2021 should be “a banner year” from an increased demand for vacations and visitations.

Thomas observed, “This is kind of an anomaly we’re dealing with, not just Pasco, but the entire global tourism marketplace is dealing with the same issue. The demand (for vacations) is at an all-time low now. A year from now, the demand is going to be at an all-time high. …There is a light at the end of the tunnel, there is a brighter day ahead of us.”

Published April 22, 2020

Pasco surpasses one million visitors in 2019

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Pasco County has hit the million-visitor mark, establishing a new record for tourism in a single fiscal year.

The county’s tourism department, which brands the county as Florida’s Sports Coast, reported that 1,038,700 million visitors generated 1,217,021 room nights in paid accommodations between October 2018 and September 2019.

Pasco County tourism director Adam Thomas, at Florida’s Sports Coast brand launch earlier this year, at Tampa International Airport. (Courtesy of Pasco County Office of Tourism)

By comparison, the number of visitors in fiscal year 2018 was roughly 965,000 visitors, generating about 1,132,000 room nights in paid accommodations.

Some other key tourism findings:

  • Visitor spending in fiscal year 2019 translated to more than $652 million in economic impact to the area, a 6% increase from 2018.
  • County bed tax collections surpassed $3 million — another first, and also a 15% increase from the previous year.
  • Tourism supported 7,870 jobs, a 5% percent increase from 2018, and equaled $168,157,000 in wages and salaries (up 7% from the previous year).

For every dollar spent in marketing, the return is $447 in visitor spending, according to Adam Thomas, the county’s tourism director.

The growth in tourism follows a shift in the county’s branding to emphasize sports and recreation.

Its current tourism pitches are based on the brand, “Florida’s Sports Coast,” with the tagline “Let’s Play.”

The shift to the new brand was made in March, replacing the previous slogan “Visit Pasco. Open Spaces. Vibrant Places.”

The new brand highlights the county’s growing list of recreational sports venues and outdoor activities.

In a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Thomas said the new brand identity, along with enhanced strategized marketing efforts, has yielded a greater impression in tourism circles both statewide and nationally.

Increased participation in national-based tourism and consumer shows, as well as media missions, have helped spread awareness about Pasco County as a popular vacation spot, said Thomas, who took over the tourism department in fall 2017.

“We now are seeing our destination image change overnight,” he said, “and it’s really going to make an impact for further visitation because we’re only going to further tell our story.”

Crossing the 1 million visitor mark, he said, “is a milestone” for the county.

“We’re only going to see our visitation numbers increase,” Thomas added.

A larger staff is working to ensure all that.

When Thomas took over the office, he had one other staffer. Now, he has a team of seven, including the recent addition of a digital content producer and corporate tourism sales manager.

With a slew of new sports and recreation facilities coming online within the next year or so,

the county is poised for even more tourism growth.

New facilities coming online include the Wiregrass Sports Complex of Pasco County in Wesley Chapel, the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills, and the state’s first and only alpine snow park being built Dade City.

Those facilities will add to Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice, Saddlebrook Golf & Tennis Resort, and outdoor adventure activities, including skydiving, saltwater fishing, parks and nature trails.

Several hotels also are coming to the county in 2020. Those include the renovation of New Port Richey’s historic Hacienda Hotel into a 40-room boutique hotel; a 124-room Residence Inn by Marriott next to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex; and, two Woodspring Suites extended Suites extended stay-style hotels, in close proximity to AdventHealth Center Ice.

The county is banking on those sports and hospitality venues to thrive in any economic climate, Thomas said.

The tourism leader pointed out youth and amateur sports tourism is “a sustainable entity” even in economic downturns because parents are still apt to invest in their children’s athletic endeavors no matter what.

“You’re still going to get Johnny to his baseball game, you’re going to get Cindy to her cheerleading competition,” Thomas observed.

However, Pasco wants to be more than just a youth sports and recreation hotbed, Thomas said.

The tourism director said his staff is also putting greater focus on luring group business travelers (social, military, education, religious, fraternal groups) for conventions, retreats and so on.

The addition of more hotels and sports venues helps to “diversify not only our destination, but our portfolio as a sports, leisure and business destination,” Thomas said.

Tourism statistics reveal that Pasco’s visitors come from six states: Florida, New York, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, Thomas said during a Pasco County Commission meeting last week.

Of those visiting the county, 42 percent are from Florida, he added.

Published December 18, 2019

Tourism to keep booming in Pasco County, officials say

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Tourism is booming in Pasco County — which reported nearly a million visitors last year.

And, the best may be yet to come, according to a presentation by county tourism officials Adam Thomas and Kolby Kucyk Gayson, during a recent Dade City Commission meeting.

The county now brands itself as “Florida’s Sports Coast,” with the tagline, “Let’s Play,” in its tourism pitches. Previously, it used the slogan “Visit Pasco. Open Spaces. Vibrant Places.”

Tree Hoppers Aerial Adventure Park, in Dade City, gives people of all ability levels the chance to experience a ropes course and ziplining. Tree Hoppers is one of Pasco County’s top tourist draws. (File)

It changed its brand in March to highlight the county’s growing list of recreational sports venues and outdoor activities.

“We were in dire need of a rebrand as a destination,” said Gayson, communications manager for Florida’s Sports Coast. “We needed our own identity within the Florida tourism market.”

Now, word is spreading about Pasco County in tourism circles regionally, nationally and even internationally, said Thomas, the county’s tourism director.

“In the past six, seven months, we’ve created some strong destination awareness, so the buzz is starting to get out there about the Sports Coast,” he said.

Thomas expects a noticeable uptick in activity once the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex of Pasco County comes online in July 2020 and begins booking events for 2021. The $44 million, 98,000-square-foot indoor space in Wesley Chapel will primarily accommodate basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, dance and gymnastics events.

“We’re thinking on a global scale for that facility,” Thomas said.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind facility,” he said, noting no other facility in the Southeast compares to it.

“We’re offering something that’s unique that people are going to travel around the state to come experience,” Thomas said.

The $44 million Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex is expect to draw tourists from across the country, and even internationally, after it opens next year. (Courtesy of RADD Sports)

The sports complex will ultimately benefit each surrounding community in Pasco, the tourism director explained.

That’s because, he said, there’ll be opportunities for marketing partnerships with local chambers and merchant’s associations, encouraging visitors to make trips to Dade City, Zephyrhills, New Port Richey and so on.

He put it like this: “The longer (tourists) stay here, the more money they spend. The more money they spend, the greater the economy gets.”

During the presentation, Thomas shared various tourism facts and figures from the past year.

There were 965,000 visitors to Pasco, booking 1.23 million hotel room nights in 2018, he said.

That generated roughly $57.5 million in sales tax for the county.

A group of skydivers enter a plane which they will jump from at Skydive City in Zephyrhills. Skydive City is one of Pasco County’s top tourist attractions. (File)

The economic impact generated an estimated $194 in tax savings for each Pasco household, Thomas added.

Additionally, tourism supports about 7,500 jobs each year, at hotels, restaurants, attractions and other businesses, he said.

That represents 13 percent of all jobs in the county, he said.

The tourism agency’s “bread and butter” is youth and amateur sports tourism. The next most popular categories are leisure and adventure travelers for activities including biking, fishing, boating, ziplining and so on.

He pointed out the county’s top tourist attractions annually, in order, are:

  • Skydive City in Zephyrhills
  • Giraffe Ranch in Dade City
  • Lift Adventure Park in Hudson
  • TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure Park in Dade City
  • Anclote Key Preserve State Park in West Pasco
  • Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park in West Pasco

He described adventure attractions as “where the rubber meets the road in pulling the entire 742 square miles of a destination together under one umbrella to call ourselves Florida’s Sports Coast.”

In addition to sports and outdoor recreation, Thomas said a greater focus is being placed on soliciting social, military, education, religious, fraternal groups, as well as business travelers, conventions and corporate retreats.

They’re doing that by leveraging meeting space that’s available at various hotels, golf clubs and local colleges.

“Those are the niche marketing segments or niche influencers that we’re trying to partner with and cater to,” Thomas said.

The bulk of the county’s visitors come from other areas of Florida and the Southeast region, followed by the Northeast and Midwest, he said.

But, he noted, there’s a growing number of international tourists. They made up 9% of all travelers to the area in 2018.

Pasco’s top international market is Canada, Thomas said. They mainly visit between January and April and their primary interests lie in outdoor activities, particularly cycling.

Meanwhile, as tourism grows, Thomas’ department is growing, too.

The agency has six staff members, including Thomas, but also is hiring a corporate tourism sales manager and a digital media producer, he said.

Published November 06, 2019

Changes coming to Pasco tourist tax collections

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The Pasco County Tax Collector will begin collecting Pasco County’s tourist development taxes, under a change approved by the Pasco County Commission.

Pasco County hotels, motels and other short-term rental accommodations have been remitting Tourist Development Tax collections to the Florida Department of Revenue (DOR).

The Department of Revenue received the collections, then returned them each month to Pasco County.

Under the change approved on June 19, Pasco Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s office will be taking on those duties. The change will be effective once it is transmitted to the state, expected to occur within 10 days of the board’s meeting.

Fasano’s office also will be responsible for enforcement and audits.

The DOR could have charged administrative costs, but did not do so — meaning that the county received 100 percent of the proceeds, according to Pasco County officials.

Shifting the duty to Fasano’s office will result in some costs, as public education efforts get underway, and enforcement actions begin.

Under the previous system, the DOR collected the tax revenues and the county was entirely dependent on the state’s registration database and reporting methodology, according to background information in the board’s agenda packet.

Florida law has confidentiality requirements that prohibited the release of registrants’ information. Because of that, the county had no way to accurately confirm that all vacation rentals within Pasco were collecting and submitting the tax to state revenue officials.

Fasano has assured the Destination Management Organization, which oversees Pasco’s tourism activities, that his office — being privy to the Department of Revenue’s registrant database — will be able to ascertain if there is non-compliance and will be able to compel compliance.

Under state law, up to 3 percent of the tax collected may be retained by the collecting entity, which would be a new expenditure for the tourism office.

But the tax collector and county officials believe that 3 percent will be off-set, as Fasano’s office identifies non-compliant properties.

Adam Thomas, Pasco’s tourism director, said the switch will improve regulation and enforcement, and will result in a quicker remittance of the funds back to the county.

Pasco Commissioner Mike Moore, chairman of the Pasco County Tourism Development Council, advocated for the shift.

“Keeping this local, in my opinion, is what we want to do,” Moore said. “We’ll be able to manage this program better.”

Fasano pointed to a mix-up that became apparent in January when Hillsborough County increased its sales tax. Some Pasco businesses inadvertently paid the Hillsborough tax “because the businesses and the Department of Revenue thought those businesses were in Hillsborough County,” Fasano said.

“Because of the tax collector’s office stepping up, working diligently with the Department of Revenue, they found $624,000 that was collected and given to Hillsborough County,” Fasano said, noting it was discovered that the problem had been happening for years.

Fasano also noted that a hotel in Wesley Chapel had paid its tourist development tax to Hillsborough. In that case, Pasco County received a check from the Department of Revenue for $58,000, the tax collector said.

Fasano said he believes there are short-term rentals — that should be collecting tourist development taxes, but are not doing so.

Fasano said he wanted to be sure that places which offer short-term rentals, such as RV parks, are collecting the tourist development tax.

“If there’s a short-term rental, that’s a business. That means they should have a business tax receipt,” Fasano said. “We want to be sure that people that are renting short-term, or renting a hotel — overnighters — that the tourist development tax of Pasco County is collected and paid, and I believe we can do that. We would be able to enforce, to put liens, garnish.”

To help track records, Fasano said, “we’re going to work with the Property Tax Assessor’s Office.  “We’re going to be able to find out these things,” he said.

The tax collector predicted it will take about three years for his office to break even, because of the costs incurred to perform additional duties the added responsibilities will require.

Published June 26, 2019

Pasco’s tourism boosts county’s economy

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An analysis by Downs & St. Germain Research Inc., consultants to Pasco County, reveals that 965,000 tourists visited Pasco County during 2018, with a $615 million impact on the county’s economy.

Downs & St. Germain Research conducted the county’s first-ever visitor tracking study. They completed face-to-face, phone and online surveys with Pasco County visitors. As a result, the researchers were able to profile visitors coming to Pasco, and to quantify economic impacts of tourism in Pasco.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore drops the puck during a ceremonial face-off between Tampa Bay Lightning Alumni captain Dave Andreychuk and National Standing/Amputee team captain David Levesque during the 15th annual Toyota-USA Hockey Disabled Hockey Festival, held this year at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Andy Taylor/Pasco County)

Nearly three-quarters of Pasco’s visitors in 2018 came from Florida, New York, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Canada, the researcher’s report says.

Of  those,  57 percent  stayed  at  hotels or motels; 23  percent stayed with relatives or friends; 14 percent stayed in a personal second home; 4 percent stayed at campgrounds/RV; and, 2 percent at vacation rental homes.

The typical travel party was made up of 2.4 people, and among those visiting, nearly a quarter reported they were accompanied by at least one person 18 or younger.

The vast majority of those visiting Pasco County drove in: Nearly 91 percent reported that’s how they arrived. Seven percent said they flew into Tampa International Airport.

Top reasons for visiting Pasco County were: Visiting friends or family, special events, attractions, relaxation, vacation and outdoor activities.

Ninety-eight percent of visitors said they will return to Pasco County.

Adam Thomas, Pasco County’s tourism director, briefed the Pasco County Commission on some of the report’s findings during a recent meeting.

“We’re a job generator,” Thomas said. “In 2018, we generated over 7,480 jobs that are supported by tourism that created wages of over $156 million on an annual basis.”

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano was impressed by the report’s findings.

“I think you’ve got some awesome information in there,” Mariano said.

“The average vacationer is 44,” Mariano said. “The median household is $75,000. Twenty-six percent travel with children.”

When visitors are asked to identify additional activities that they would like to see, they  identified more outdoor activities, more family friendly activities, a water park, a music festival, more shopping options and more restaurants, Mariano said.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said the impact from tourism is already impressive, but he said it will increase, as the county’s new tourism brand — Florida’s Sports Coast — takes hold.

“When the Wiregrass Sports Complex is finished, you can imagine how those numbers are going to increase,” he said.

Moore noted that AdventHealth Center Ice — which was used as a practice facility by the U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team — already attracts big events.

This is Pasco County’s tourism brand logo.

Over the weekend, the ice arena hosted the 2019 Disabled Hockey Festival, and will host more games this coming weekend.

The ice arena is the first in Florida to host the hockey festival, Moore said, via comments shared with The Laker/Lutz News by his aide, Andy Taylor.

“I am honored to participate in an event that shows anybody can participate and be included. I thank USA Hockey for their commitment to the disabled community and coming to Wesley Chapel,” Moore added.

Thomas said the event is generating nearly 1,200 room nights.

The tourism director told commissioners the county is working on a different event that’s expected to generate close to 1,400 room nights.

Moore told his board colleagues, “The focus is the room nights because if they’re spending a night in a hotel, they’re going out to dinner, they’re buying their gas here, they’re going to the shops. They’re doing everything in Pasco County.”

Now, as the county negotiates future events, Moore said, “the stipulations are, they stay in Pasco County.”

Thomas described the county’s tourism approach this way:  “We’re going after the active family, the active couple, the active traveler that’s looking for outdoor adventure, but also looking for the youth tournaments.”

Tourism’s impact on Pasco County
Overall economic impact: $615 million
Visitors to Pasco: 965,000
Room nights generated by visitors: 1,132,926
Jobs: 7,480
Wages: $156 million
Source: 2018 Economic Impact Study of Tourism in Pasco County

Published April 03, 2019

Pasco County tourism rebrands as ‘Florida’s Sports Coast’

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Pasco County now wants to be known as “Florida’s Sports Coast.”

The announcement — anticipated for months — was made official at a March 7 brand launch ceremony held at Tampa International Airport.

Pasco County’s tourism office, Visit Pasco, has rebranded itself as ‘Florida’s Sports Coast.’ The new marketing slogan was made official at a March 7 brand launch ceremony at Tampa International Airport. Pasco County tourism director Adam Thomas spoke at the brand launch. (Kevin Weiss)

The rebrand is part of an ongoing effort for the county’s tourism office, Visit Pasco, to expand its footprint as a sports and recreation destination.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said the Florida’s Sports Coast brand creates a “refreshed identity” for the county, to “communicate new energy and enthusiasm that hasn’t been established in the past.”

Accompanying the Florida’s Sports Coast marketing campaign is the tagline, “Let’s Play.”

Previous Pasco tourism promotions featured the slogans “It’s only natural” and “Open spaces, vibrant places” — referring to the county’s ecotourism offerings.

The new slogan coincides with a number of multipurpose sports facilities that have opened or will open soon, along with other recreational offerings in Pasco.

Moore highlighted present sports assets, such as Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice and Saddlebrook Golf & Tennis Resort, as well as the county’s myriad of outdoor adventure activities including saltwater fishing and biking trails.

“Sports tourism in Pasco County is something that we excel at,” Moore said, “and we’re dedicated to sports tourism and the positive impact it has for our large number of local partners, as well as the community.”

Moore mentioned the forthcoming Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex figures to be a game-changer, too.

The $44 million, 98,000-square-foot multipurpose facility set to open later this year, is poised to bring in top-level sporting events in cheerleading, basketball, gymnastics, volleyball and so on.

He said the facility will “highlight our area even more and bring in even a larger economic impact to Pasco County.”

According to Moore, tourism overall in Pasco County last year generated a $615 million economic impact from 957,000 visitors and 1.1 million room nights, which he said in turn equated to 7,500 jobs and $156 million in wages.

“Those numbers are pretty extraordinary,” Moore said.

The commissioner expects those tourism numbers to grow, as the county directs marketing efforts more so to sports tourism.

Pasco County has rebranded as ‘Florida’s Sports Coast,’ as it looks to expand its footprint as a sports tourism destination. (Courtesy of Visit Pasco)

“As more facilities are finished, and we attract more events to Pasco County, we’ll have new hotels that will continue to give us more capacity,” Moore said.

“I also can’t wait to see what the impact has on Pasco County with our new brand, Florida’s Sports Coast,” he added.

Adam Thomas, tourism director for Pasco, said the Florida’s Sports Coast brand helps “create an identity that’s going to make waves in Florida’s (tourism) marketplace.”

“We’re all about sports. That’s our DNA. That’s our lifeblood,” said Thomas, who’s been with the county since 2017.

The tourism director added that the branding is on point for the county, which he described as “a vast destination that has many products and many offerings, and many attractions and many things to do.”

“We just feel that we’re creating a sense of place, not only for us as an (tourism) office, but the entire the community, the entire county, the entire destination,” Thomas said.

With that, Thomas said his tourism office is currently strategizing to draw amateur sports and recreation events that can generate a high economic return for the county.

An example of that, he said, is Torhs2Hot4Ice, a national roller hockey tournament held at AdventHealth Center Ice.

“We play roller hockey for 10 days and that creates 1,800 room nights for us and about a $5 million economic impact,” the tourism director said.

Thomas also added the opening of the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex will further help the county’s newfound mission of economic impact-driven sports tourism.

“We actually have events right now that are just lined up waiting for that door to open up,” Thomas said.

Published March 13, 2019