PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Labor Day weekend is upon us; and just ahead of the influx of tourists, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater launched its new "Rise to Shine" safety campaign.
The campaign focuses on visiting safely and responsibly, encouraging residents and visitors to be respectful and follow health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The nearly $2 million campaign was developed with chambers of commerce and local municipalities to give Pinellas County businesses a unified approach to communicating expectations during the pandemic. To help eliminate confusion in case one store required masks and another didn't initially, the expectations are now being made more clear and easy to understand.
Another motive to launch "Rise to Shine" is for peace of mind for the thousands of tourists who come want to know that the place where they are vacationing will be taking safety precautions seriously. That was one of the top items tourists wanted in a vacation now, according to the latest traveler sentiment research from Destination Analysts.
The campaign focuses on both locals and visitors; and there will be TV and radio commercials, signage, wrapped PSTA buses, and more helping spread the word.
“With tourism being Pinellas County’s Number 1 employer we have to do everything we can to reinvigorate our tourism industry and local businesses during this challenging time and this campaign is a great signal of that support,” Pinellas County Board of County Commission Chair Pat Gerard said.
All Pinellas County businesses are invited to participate in the campaign and can sign up at VisitSPC.com/RisetoShine.
St. Pete/Clearwater remains one of the most sought-after vacation destinations in Florida, despite nearly 50 percent of American travelers canceling at least two trips this year due to the pandemic.
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