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Experience Florida's Sports Coast

Pasco County tourism decreased in 2020

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Tourism in Pasco County came back to earth in 2020 — following a record year the year before,  which saw the area surpass the million-visitor mark for its first time.

An informational presentation from Experience Florida’s Sports Coast — the county’s branded tourism arm — reveals some sobering facts and figures in a fiscal year impacted largely by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Adam Thomas, director for Pasco County’s tourism brand, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast (File)

Pasco attracted 959,700 visitors in fiscal year 2020, down 7.6% from fiscal year 2019 when it drew 1,038,700 visitors, according to an analysis by Downs & St. Germain Research Inc., consultants to the county.

Other tourism economic impact indicators registered noticeable reductions across the board for the county when compared to the previous year:

  • Room nights generated — 1,069,849 (12.1% decrease)
  • Direct expenditures — $391,642,500 (15.3% decrease)
  • Total economic impact — $552,216,200 (15.3% decrease)
  • Jobs supported by tourism — 6,790 (13.7% decrease)
  • Wages paid by tourism — $149,461,500 (11.1% decrease)
  • Tourist Development Tax (bed tax) — $2,639,427 (13.2% decrease)
  • Taxes supported — $51,789,400 (14.8% decrease)

County tourism manager Adam Thomas shared these annual findings and other details during a Pasco County Commission meeting last month.

The 113-page visitor report shows that about one in four visitors to Pasco came to visit friends and family, while one in 10 visitors traveled to attend or participate in a sporting event.

The areas within the county attracting the most visitors were New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Port Richey and Lutz, according to the report.

Perceptions of Pasco based on coded, open-ended tourist responses generally found the area as a friendly and pleasant place, with tropical Florida weather, and lots to do.

In the way of visitor satisfaction, Pasco earned an 8.3 rating, out of a possible 10, as a place to visit or vacation in 2020, with 95% of respondents saying they plan to return to the county.

Pasco County’s tourism brand, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, places an emphasis on its state-of-the-art athletics facilities and outdoor recreation opportunities. County visitation decreased 7.6% in 2020 from 2019, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 85% of all visitors drove to Pasco in 2020, while 11% flew in through Tampa International Airport.

Florida made up the bulk of the county’s visitation, with 51% of all visits, followed by the rest of the Southeast (16%), then Northeast (12%) and Midwest (12%) regions of the country. Six percent of visitors were international, while 3% came in from the West.

Relatedly, 60% of all the visitors to Pasco were from 10 states.

Besides a majority of Florida-based visitors, roughly 5% of tourists came in from Georgia and New York. Smaller subsets were from Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee; top origin markets were Tampa Bay (29%), Orlando (6%), Atlanta (4%) and New York City (4%).

Another notable data point is that length of stays were shorter during the past year, according to the report.

A typical visitors length of stay in Pasco measured an average of 4.8 nights in 2020, down from 5.7 nights in 2019. The reduction is believed to be a result of the pandemic.

Despite reversing course in fiscal year 2020, Pasco’s tourism efforts have spearheaded in recent years, following a shift in philosophy to emphasize youth and amateur sports and recreation opportunities.

The Experience Florida’s Sports Coast branding efforts highlight the county’s growing list of modern athletics venues, including AdventHealth Center Ice, the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center and the Wiregrass Sports Campus of Pasco County. Tourism efforts also showcase the county’s myriad outdoor activities that include golfing, saltwater fishing, skydiving and scalloping.

The county’s day-to-day tourism efforts are under the direction of Thomas, a former minor league baseball pitcher who led the Citrus County Visitor and Conventions Bureau before being hired to Pasco in September 2017.

Bullish on tourism future
Following the annual report presentation, county commissioners commended Thomas and his tourism staff for the work they’ve done of late, and expressed optimism of a rebound — figuring the depressed 2020 was a temporary setback and anomaly because of COVID-19.

Commissioner Mike Moore, who chairs the Pasco County Tourist Development Council, highlighted how the tourism agency achieved national recognition throughout the past year.

Pasco County’s 10-day bay scallop season in July could help boost tourism efforts in 2021.

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast won three Telly Awards, including gold, for its scalloping promotional video. The Telly Awards is recognized as the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. It received over 12,000 entries from all 50 states.

The tourism department also claimed two silver Flagler Awards in 2020 for its website design and meeting planner guide. The Flagler Awards serves to recognize outstanding tourism marketing in Florida.

Continuing on the positives, Moore pointed out bed tax collections actually increased in September 2020 compared to September 2019, despite the pandemic.

Moore gave Thomas kudos for “amazing, amazing work,” to lock in enough amateur and recreational sporting events to make that happen.

Others on the dais also voiced strong approval for Thomas and his tourism staff’s varied efforts.

“I don’t remember what it was like before, but since you’ve been here, it’s really been booming, even with COVID,” Commission Chairman Ron Oakley said of Thomas. “It’s a great team.”

Commissioner Jack Mariano noted Thomas was hired at an ideal time for the county almost four years ago, as projects like AdventHealth Center Ice and the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County were on the ramp-up.

Mariano also noted more tourism options on the county’s west side are taking shape, with seawall plans for Hudson Beach and improvements to SunWest Park — the latter of which could pave the way for some major sand volleyball and wakeboarding events in the future. “It’s going to be real exciting times coming forward,” Mariano said.

Commission Vice Chair Kathryn Starkey, too, acknowledged the staff of eight at Experience Florida’s Sports Coast has done a solid job.

As for what more can be done to make the county an attractive tourism destination, however,  Starkey turned to the county’s current slate of nature and parks offerings.

She referenced a point in the report’s visitor surveys that indicated those features generally fell below expectations. Moreover, about 43% of polled visitors desired more outdoor activities, despite the county boasting over 24 miles of coastline to the west, hilly terrain to the east, and more than 100,000 acres of wilderness to explore in between.

Upgrades in these arenas should be on the way, Starkey noted, thanks to a recently approved bond issue. “We haven’t had the money to make all of our parks as premier as we’d like them to be, but it’s coming,” she said.

Published February 17, 2021

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

Tourist Development Council has board opening

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Pasco County’s Tourist Development Council (TDC) has an opening on its volunteer board for a representative or operator of a hotel, motel, RV park, or other tourist accommodation, according to a county news release.

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, which is Pasco’s Destination Management Organization, is recruiting volunteers to apply to serve on the board.

Applications are being accepted online through Nov. 30, at bit.ly/TDCApp2020.

The TDC is an advisory council to the Pasco County Commission.

It is made up of elected officials and tourism industry professionals who provide recommendations to the staff of Experience Florida’s Sports Coast on promotional/partnership proposals, marketing opportunities and oversight of tourism tax expenditures – also known as the “Bed Tax.”

Position Details:

  • Must be an owner or operator of a motel, hotel, RV park, or other tourist accommodation in the county subject to the tourist development tax
  • TDC members serve four-year terms; appointments are staggered.
  • The position is voluntary; there is no financial compensation.
  • The TDC typically meets monthly, alternating between New Port Richey and Dade City.
  • Applicants must live in Pasco County, and must be registered to vote.

To find out more, visit bit.ly/PascoTDC.

For additional information, email Kolby Kucyk Gayson at .

Published November 04, 2020

A BMX park in Pasco County?

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Pasco County has marketed itself in recent years as a premier amateur sports and recreation tourism destination.

Its tourism arm —  Experience Florida’s Sports Coast — has leveraged that credo, with state-of-the-art athletic facilities springing up. Those include the AdventHealth Center Ice skating rink, Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus and Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center.

Could a large-scale BMX (bicycle motocross) park be the county’s next major attraction?

Delaney Morrison, and her team, would like to see that happen.

Morrison operates Pinellas Park’s J&R Bicycles BMX Super Store. She’s also president of Ride Local Inc., a nonprofit group committed to providing safe and well-organized environments where enthusiasts can hone their skills in extreme sports.

This is a basic rendering of what a BMX track could look like in Pasco. A project is believed to cost a minimum of $1.7 million to $2 million, without additional frills, such as an open-air covered roof for year-round use. (Courtesy of Ride Local Inc.)

She outlined the Ride Local’s concept at the Pasco County Tourist Development Council (TDC)’s August meeting.

“We’re eager to work with you, and hopefully bring BMX to Pasco County. It has been a passion of ours for decades now,” Morrison told the TDC, as she unveiled a 40-page proposal on the initiative.

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, skatepark, mountain bike obstacle course, casual bike path and other features.

There would be opportunities for recreational leagues and a beginner’s program for newcomers to the off-road racing sport. It also 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.

“Our goals for this project are to establish a world-class track for locals and visiting riders, regardless of age or skill level,” Morrison told the TDC. “With the work that Pasco County already has done as a bicycle community, we know that BMX can just round out your offerings for bicycle activities.”

Location, location, location
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.

The identified location seems ideal for multiple reasons.

Morrison praised its high visibility along the booming State Road 54 corridor, sitting along the Tower Road extension and a future high school, whose adjacent lot could be used for overflow parking for large events.

The ability for commuting motorists to see a BMX track from afar is a luxury other like-minded BMX facilities don’t have, Morrison said. Often, she said, they’re “hidden in the back of a park somewhere.”

A 23-acre tract situated of the intersection of State Road 54 and Gunn Highway in the Odessa/Trinity area has been targeted as a possible location for a future BMX track and bike park. (Courtesy of Ride Local Inc.)

Case in point: Tampa BMX at Lake Park in Lutz.

“They have good ridership there, but you can’t see anything from the road. You just have to be in BMX and know that it’s back there,” said Morrison, who grew up in Lutz.

However, she said a Pasco BMX park would pair well with Tampa BMX and Oldsmar BMX, which is under construction — to attract regional and national tournaments.

The trifecta of facilities, she said, “would really set us apart from most other locations in the country.”

The close proximity of the tracks to each other is a selling point, she said.

“You can drive to any one of these tracks within 20 minutes and we could see, aside from bigger events, people from all over Florida wanting to come into our area to be able to ride a Friday, Saturday, Sunday and hit three tracks in the same weekend,” explained Morrison. Plus, she noted, local hotels, shops and restaurants would benefit from the business.

Continuing on the tourism piece, Morrison pointed out BMX is the fastest-growing sport/fitness activity. A study from the Sports and Fitness Association puts it ahead of other activities, such as cardio tennis, skiing, pickleball and rugby, among others.

The sport is pandemic-proof, too, she argued.

Morrison detailed a three-day BMX event last month in Toledo, Ohio — the Buckeye Nationals — drew representatives from 37 states.

If Ohio can attract that kind of crowd, during the summer in the middle of a pandemic, she said, she’s confident that Tampa Bay — with its beaches, Busch Gardens and easy access through Tampa International Airport — would see a rise in tourism.

Finding funding
Money appears the biggest hurdle in getting the project off the ground.

The park has an estimated base cost of $1.7 million to $2 million, Morrison said.

That’s without additional frills, such as an open-air covered roof on the BMX track, to allow for year-round use.

That’s an amenity that Morrison highly encourages, should the county assist in a partnership: “You don’t have to worry about a rainout. You really cut down on the heat. We think we’d get some regulars, a larger local draw than what some other tracks that aren’t covered do.”

Tyler Heinrichs is mid-air during a ride at Tampa BMX in Lutz. (File)

Cities and counties in other states have generally “put up quite a bit of money” with funding such projects, Morrison told the board.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who chairs the TDC, indicated the county could negotiate or support some type of land use or lease deal.

Providing upfront funding for construction, though, is all but a non-starter, at least for the present, given the COVID-19 pandemic and funding of other projects, such as the $44 million Wiregrass Sports Campus, he said.

“We just don’t have money in the tourism budget right now for additional capital projects,” said Moore.

“Not saying in the future there might not be, but right now, the cash, whether it be a million, million-and-a-half, two million or three million dollars, it just is not within the tourism budget,” Moore said.

With that, Morrison acknowledged her organization hasn’t fully gone “down the rabbit hole” in terms of capital funding mechanisms.

But, Ride Local Inc., is toying with some creative ideas, such as leveraging a corporate naming sponsorship or partnering with an electric company to install solar panels on a would-be covered roof to offset costs.

The group is prepared for the legwork needed to cultivate creative partnerships and alternate funding sources, she said.

“Really, for lack of a better term, we’re not scared,” Morrison said, there may be some other sources of funding within the state or region they can seek out.

Funding complications aside, TDC members expressed enthusiasm for a BMX facility of some sort.

“I love the idea,” said TDC vice chairman Wendy Longman, owner of Windsong Boat Charters in New Port Richey. “I think it would add a lot of value to the county and with the state of how things are, it’s a great social distancing sport, so I think it’s a phenomenal idea.”

TDC member Judy Sutton, owner of Quality Inn-Port Richey, concurred, hyping up the tourist benefits: “Between the United States and Canada, I also know people that do BMX, and you do travel a lot, and there’s an opportunity to bring it to Pasco.”

Published August 26, 2020

Pasco expanding film production footprint

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Pasco County’s tourism office last year rebranded to Experience Florida’s Sports Coast with the idea of becoming a destination for youth and amateur sports.

But, the county doesn’t want to be pigeonholed simply as a playground for various athletics tournaments and festivals.

The county’s tourism department is now expanding its brand portfolio to include film production — aiming to further boost economic development.

From left: ‘Death Cast’ director Bobby Marinelli, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast program manager Consuelo Sanchez, and ‘Death Cast’ producer Melissa McNerney. (Courtesy of Travis Claytor)

The production of “Death Cast,” a feature horror film, showcases the potential for the county to become a filming hotbed.

“Death Cast” is about six young, hopeful actors who are looking to land roles in an experimental horror film.

Roughly 90% of the movie was filmed in Pasco, including Dade City. Filming took place with a 30-member crew within a two-week period in January 2018.

“Death Cast” writer and director Bobby Marinelli pins the picture as “a really unique take on a classic horror story.”

He added: “It’s essentially a horror slasher film, by the numbers, but pulled in like a found footage, reality television-style that we’ve been told that’s it’s not been seen before.”

The independent, low-budget movie is set to be premiered on the film festival circuit this fall. It’s run time is 75 minutes.

The film’s main set piece takes place at a two-story house on Hanlon Terrace in Dade City, which has since transformed into a cattle ranch and wedding venue.

Set on a large property accented with a long, gravel driveway and shadowy tree canopy, the home helped “establish the look and feel of the rest of the movie,” Marinelli said.

An added bonus — the property featured a mother-in-law suite adjacent to the house that became the production office and base camp for most of the film.

A home and property on Hanlon Terrace in Dade City was the main set piece of the independent horror flick ‘Death Cast.’ Production took place across a two-week period in January 2018. The movie is about six young, hopeful actors looking to land roles in an experimental horror film.

“It worked out really well for us,” the director said.

Another central location was Crews Lake Wilderness Park in Shady Hills, offering an “amazing rural landscape” for other scenes, he said.

“It was honestly another keystone to the film,” Marinelli said of the park, “because we needed just this vast-like endless piece of property.”

Marinelli, who grew up in Hudson, was well-acquainted with the county’s landscape beforehand.

The Hudson High graduate studied filmmaking at Florida State University.

Making a movie in his hometown county required less red tape than other counties and states, he said.

The filmmaker cited a streamlined permitting process and accommodating nature from county officials and local residents. He mentioned Crews Lake Park was all but “handed to us on a silver platter” for their use.

“When you shoot in other states, particularly like big production states, there’s a lot of hoops to jump through to have that kind of access to a piece of property like that,” Marinelli explained.

“Other places, if you were shooting something like that, it would be a big task to stop the regular traffic of the park. …These parks in Pasco County, there’s enough of them, and they’re so vast that our footprint doesn’t really inconvenience the operations of the park, and it gives the film the look and feel and accessibility that it needs.”

It’s those types of reviews that Experience Florida’s Sports Coast officials hope to hear more often to help it attract future films.

The agency has its own film commissioner, Gaby LaJeunesse, who assists movie producers and scouts by establishing a link between other cities, county parks, libraries, transportation and private destinations.

Crews Lake Park in Shady Hills was another major set piece for ‘Death Cast.’ The independent, low-budget movie is set to be premiered on the film festival circuit this fall.

The work includes facilitating permits and road closures, and even coordinating with the Pasco School Board, if a project calls for filming in and around a school.

Besides helping to arrange needed accommodations for full-length features, she also assists with short films, student films, documentaries, music videos, and commercials and infomercials.

“The more productions that come to our county, the better opportunity we’re going to be out there and known across the country,” she said.

To help spread the word about its film-friendly mission, the tourism agency is developing a dedicated film page to add to its website.

It will help inform potential filmmakers and film production companies that are considering the area. The page will feature a library of location options, permitting information and so on. The new tab is expected to  go live sometime this year, officials say.

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast officials highlight the economic benefit of film casts and crews staying at local hotels, and eating and shopping locally. Moreover, creating film sets oftentimes requires extensive use of local labor and materials.

LaJeunesse observed, “Everybody benefits from a production in our county.”

Marinelli speaks to that firsthand.

“When a film’s shooting in a one- or two-week period of time, there’s a lot of money spent in that area and a lot of attention brought to it,” he said.

Meanwhile, what makes Pasco attractive for filmmakers could go well beyond easing the production process for film executives.

Beyond being a receptive place to make films, Pasco also offers diverse “coast to country” geography — providing wide-ranging set locations in an hour’s radius. For instance, Anclote Key’s castaway island look is much different than the rural, rolling hills of historic Dade City.

Those variations “speak a lot to Pasco County and what Pasco County has to offer in terms of locations,” said “Death Cast” producer Melissa McNerney.

McNerney, who lives in Tampa, studied acting in New York and has landed small roles in television shows including “The Good Wife,” “All My Children” and “Boardwalk Empire.”

“Filmmaking in Florida doesn’t have to be about stories that take place in the most obvious locations like beaches and areas where there’s palm trees and water, and kind of these really traditional, iconic, recognizable Florida landscapes.

“Our film shows backwoods and areas you might think aren’t even in Florida, and I think there’s a huge opportunity for filmmakers to start writing different stories that take place in lesser-known landscapes, and then challenge themselves to finding unique locations that aren’t necessarily identifiable as Florida, because I think that makes filming here that much more of a creative endeavor,” she said.

For information on “Death Cast” and to watch the trailer, visit DeathCastFilm.com.

Published April 22, 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 Sports Fair offers opportunities for all

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In Zephyrhills, It was a sports enthusiasts dream — for children and adults alike.

There were scaled down or mini versions of tennis, basketball, football, soccer, floor hockey, golf, virtual skydiving, even a fitness obstacle course — all offered for free, all day long.

About 1,500 people passed through the first annual Pasco Sports Fair, held Feb. 16 at Skydive City in Zephyrhills.

Three-year-old Isabelle Ruiz, of Wesley Chapel, winds up, to toss a football toward the net. Former NFL defensive end Mel Williams, left, smiles, as he watches and encourages the youngster. Williams played with the New Orleans Saints, the Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins. (Christine Holtzman)

The event was the brainchild of Pascal Collard, CEO of the new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, in partnership with Skydive City owners Joannie Murphy and Susan Stark.

The event was sponsored in part by Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley and Randy Blankenship of B.R.W. Contracting Inc.

Collard saw multiple benefits to the newfound event.

First, Collard, an avid skydiver himself, saw it as a way to introduce more of the Pasco County community to the extreme sport, which entails jumping from an aircraft with a parachute from an altitude of several thousand feet.

“It’s unique in the world,” Collard said, “and some people in Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel don’t even know it exists.”

Stark agreed, adding the fair helps “demystify” skydiving to locals, a sport which draws participants from all over the world to the small town.

Said Stark, “Even if they don’t come and skydive, they come and they watch, and this is just a great source a fun for people to do here on the way eastern side of Pasco.”

She added of the fair: “It’s probably going to attract more people who are interested in seeing skydiving, than necessarily doing it, but we’ll also probably have some additional people also doing the skydiving.”

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Collard wanted an event that gave local youth the chance to try different sports and meet former professional athletes at no cost — with the help of volunteers and vendors, such as Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, AdventHealth Center Ice, Silverado Golf & Country Club and many others.

Some former professional athletes who met with families and oversaw the sporting activities included former English Premier League forward Gary Blissett, who played for Wimbledon FC in the mid-1990s; former NFL defensive end Mel Williams, who played for the New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins in the mid-2000s; and, former Tampa Bay Rowdies head coach and soccer player Stuart Campbell.

Soccer instructor Gary Blissett practices dribbling the ball with first-year soccer player, 4-year-old Owen Baker, of Tampa. Blissett is a former Premier League professional soccer player from Manchester, England, who now resides in Wesley Chapel. He is a coach with the United Global Academy (UGA) in Zephyrhills.

Blissett, who was in charge of a soccer drill station, described the day’s activities as “more fun than teaching,” simply giving curious youth a chance to try new sports, and parents the information on available leagues and sports organizations around town.

“If people enjoy what they’re doing at their stations, and it’s something they’ve never done before, they now have access to it, they know where to go to get it,” said Blissett, the coaching director of the Spirit of Zephyrhills Florida Soccer Club youth recreational league.

By bringing those types of known sports figures along, Collard believes it offers hope to area youth that have athletic dreams and aspirations.

He put it like this: “If kids see they have access to guys like Mel Williams, they say, ‘Oh, this is real,’ because otherwise they didn’t believe it’s going to happen.”

Meanwhile, Collard, an international tennis instructor who’s trained some of the world’s top-ranked pros, believes organizing and creating more affordable athletics opportunities for youth can change the fabric of a community like Zephyrhills.

Said Collard, “I believe all the kids in Zephyrhills need sports — it keeps them away from trouble. That’s the reality. But, nobody does enough.”

Families to the first-ever event appreciated the chance to bring their children to freely try out a variety of sports. Set up like a school field day, kids that tried all eight sports stations received a goody bag and were entered for a gift prize drawing.

Zephyrhills resident Sarah Steen brought along her 4-year-old daughter, Ruth, to gauge her interest on the various sports for when she gets a little older.

“It’s pretty cool, it’s fun,” Steen said of the sports fair. “I like how she’s learning about the different sports before I go and pay the fees, and buy the helmets and everything, so we get to see if she likes it before I have to pay for everything.”

Steen added, “I want to keep her active and healthy, so this kind of thing is good because it gets the kids, it shows them the different kinds of sports they can do.”

Steen acknowledged in Zephyrhills “there’s not as many options” for youth athletic activities, whether it be lack of qualified volunteer coaches or enough interested kids who can afford to play.

She asserted, “When I was a kid, it seemed like everybody played baseball or softball. And now, it seems like they have to beg people to be a coach.”

Steen’s 15-year old son, David Castro, agreed.

“There’s not enough (recreational) leagues out here,” said Castro, a member of the Zephyrhills High School tennis and soccer teams.

Because of that, Castro noted many of his friends and fellow teens “don’t have a choice” but to spend their free time on cellphones, playing video games and so on.

So, he liked how the event offered kids something to do outdoors for free, with hopes of maybe sparking or reinvigorating athletics pursuits in others.

“I think it’s good,” he said of the sports fair, “because it’s going to get kids like wanting to go (play sports). That’s kind of the main issue around here, is there’s not enough kids interested, so you don’t really have a lot of options.”

For Ontario, Canada’s Michelle Galley Salgueiro, the sports fair gave something for her to do with her 8-year-old son, Liam, as they spent the week visiting her parents, Zephyrhills snowbirds.

The event was “perfect,” for her son, she said, “because I’m trying to get him used to more sports.”

One of those included the football station, where Liam joined in on non-contact drills consisting of footwork, sprints, and catching and handling balls.

“We will never play football, we’re not a football family,” his mother said, “but it’ll give him a chance today to try it.”

When informed the sports fair plans to be an annual event, the out-of-towner said, “We would definitely come around for this.”

Published February 26, 2020