Visit Tampa Bay

We are so grateful and appreciative of everything the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc is doing for our community. The economic and social impact is invaluable, but what we treasure most is the incredible friendship we’ve formed between Visit Tampa Bay and the Divine Nine.

The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, ΩΨΦ, is taking over Tampa Bay. Approximately 25,000 Omega Psi Phi Fraternity members are in Tampa from June 26 - July 2 for their 84th Grand Conclave at the Tampa Convention Center, billed as the largest Conclave in the fraternity’s illustrious history. Thursday morning, the Omegas unveiled a paver on the Tampa Riverwalk commemorating the significance of the occasion. Our Vice President of Multicultural Sales & Development Sherri Brown put it best during the ceremony - the Omegas are now part of our Tampa Bay family and will be here forever. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is the first international fraternal organization founded on the campus of a historically Black college - Nov. 17, 1911 at Howard University.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the 2024 International Photography Competition Opening Reception at Tampa International Airport (TPA). What an incredible evening. 🙌 This is the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts most successful IPC to date featuring 2,557 stunning submissions from 593 talented photographers across 59 countries. The winners' exhibition is now on display at Tampa International Airport, across from the USO office, until August 25. Congratulations to all the winners, and a heartfelt thank you to all participants for making this event a grand success.

Get ready to spread your wings this November at Red Bull Flugtag 2024. This morning it was announced the official Red Bull event will be held in Tampa Bay for a third time on November 9 at the Tampa Convention Center after successful Flugtags in 2008 and 2011. The city is expecting over 100,000 people in attendance and a $3 million economic impact this go round. Tap into your creative side, start planning your human-powered flying machine and see how far your airship can make it jumping off a 27-foot-tall flight deck before plunging into the mouth of the Hillsborough River. Red Bull Flugtag 2024 is free and open to the public. Applications to compete open July 8 and you can register your team of up to five people through Sept. 19. Check RedBull.com for more information. #unlocktampabay #savethedate #redbullgivesyouwings

A huge thank you to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for partnering with us to host our World Giraffe Day Activation at the #UnlockTampaBay Visitors Center. The interactive show-and-tell experience, delicious giraffe-shaped pretzels, and fun photo ops with Busch Gardens stilt walkers made the day unforgettable.    Also, shout out to This Little Pig food truck for bringing small plates and sandwiches for everyone to enjoy. Who knew you could make hummus from boiled peanuts and it would taste so delicious?    For those looking to take a piece of the celebration home, we have some giraffe-inspired items in the Unlock Tampa Bay Visitors Center. Choose from small, medium, and large giraffe plushies and Serengeti safari t-shirts. Plus, you can take photos with our 14-foot giraffe in the Visitors Center until the end of July.

Thank you to all our wonderful partners who came out to The Regent in Riverview for our summer Keys To Success meeting. We enjoyed getting to share a little about our organization – with presentations from our Public Relations, Convention Sales, and Tampa Bay Sports Commission teams – and detailing how we work with our partners to promote this world-class tourist destination. There are thousands of stories that help make our region uniquely Tampa Bay. We enjoy telling those stories and sharing them nationwide and worldwide to entice visitors to explore our area. If you have a story you’d like us to share, please reach out. Let us be your advocate. A special shout out to our event sponsors: C.B.K Catering & Events for fueling us with breakfast, The Regent dba for The Brandon Community Advantage Center for hosting us in their beautiful event space and Extravaganza Productions, Inc. for the killer audio/visual setup. And thank you to our National Go Fishing Day vendors for making the event a success: Tampa Bay Kayak Anglers, Tampa Bay Fun Boat , Bag ‘Em Fishing Charters, Empower Adventures Tampa Bay, and The Blind Tiger Coffee Roasters.

International soccer is coming to Tampa this summer as English Premier League clubs West Ham United & Crystal Palace compete in the @StatsideCup at Raymond James Stadium! You can score big with Dad this Father’s Day with this special Father’s Day offer - 25% off the purchase of a Family 4-Pack using code FDS24 through 6/16. Tickets will go fast. Buy tickets at www.statesidecup.com.

We had an incredible time at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa for the National Travel and Tourism Week Luncheon. Today was truly special, highlighting the unsung heroes in the hospitality industry. We are so proud to bring these individuals the recognition they deserve. Our partners are the front face of this destination, delivering exceptional service that helps our destination shine. A special shoutout to our esteemed award winners. We recognized 11 outstanding members of our community for the pivotal role they play in shining a spotlight on our region and creating extraordinary experiences for our visitors. Hospitality Hero Award Winners:      - Xuan Nguyen, Boulon Brasserie and Bakery  - Jaqueline Bernabie, Homewood Suites Tampa Airport Westshore  - Ronnie Lim, Hilton Tampa Downtown  - Nurys Matos, Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay - Luisa Medina, Columbia Restaurant - Khadeem Sealy, Bern’s Steak House - Vickie Elysee, McKibbon Hospitality and Hyatt House Tampa Airport/Westshore Talk Up Tampa Bay Award Winners:  - Greg Yadley, Attorney & Partner, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP - Honorable Commissioner Gwen Myers -- Hillsborough County - Christopher Garnet DuCoin, MD, South Florida College of Public Health Department of Surgery Also, congratulations to Andrea Gonzmart Williams for winning the Gonzmart Family Tourism Ambassador of the Year award for her unwavering dedication to Tampa Bay’s culture, community, and tourism. Thank you to our generous partners Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, 1905 Family Of Restaurants, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for making this event possible! Here's to the continued growth and success of Tampa Bay's vibrant tourism community 🎉 #NTTW24 #VisitTampaBay #TourismExcellence #UnlockTampaBay U.S. Travel Association

As part of our ongoing National Travel & Tourism Week celebrations, 100 Visit Tampa Bay partners and team members joined forces on Tuesday at Feeding Tampa Bay. Over two shifts, our dedicated volunteers made a remarkable impact: ✓ 11,125 meals prepared ✓ 13,351 pounds of food sorted A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our Tourism Gives Back event and contributed to Feeding Tampa Bay’s mission to end hunger. Interested in volunteering to make a difference in Tampa Bay? Sign up to volunteer at Feeding Tampa Bay here: https://lnkd.in/gKU6TPHm

The Drew Park Tax Collector’s Office in Tampa hosted a Memorial Day ceremony today to honor the rich history of Drew Field and the courageous men and women who served our country. The event featured the official "take off" of the remarkable World War II-era A-36 Apache sculpture, crafted by renowned local artist Dominique Martinez from Rustic Steel .   Local elected officials, service members from MacDill Air Force Base, veterans, and esteemed community members gathered to pay tribute to the bravery and dedication of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. The World War II-Era A-36 Apache replica was re-dedicated in its new space, further commemorating the spirit of those who served.   Visit the statue at the Drew Park Tax Collector's Office at 4100 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.