Though the recent cold spell has temperatures lower in the Bay area than in England, an international campaign to get United Kingdom residents to Pinellas County is in full swing.
Visit St. Pete/Clearwater is launching a new ad campaign this winter in the UK. St. Petersburg and Clearwater aimed at attracting new tourists to the area - specifically, to the area's beaches.
The ads will, of course, feature sunny beach scenes. They'll run on television and on the side of double-decker buses in the UK.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the ads are described as "bright, music-video-style TV spots that will paint a dreamy picture of incredibly cheery people frolicking on warm, sunny, luscious beaches."
Officials are optimistic the spots will help add to strong recent tourism numbers.
The Pinellas County Tax Collector reported record September collections with the St. Pete/Clearwater area officially setting a new bed tax record for 2013-14, collecting more than $35 million over the 12-month period ending Sept. 30.
"There's no doubt about it," said Visit St. Pete/Clearwater interim Executive Director David Downing. "The St. Pete/Clearwater area is entering a new tourism era, and these record numbers reflect that growth."