New international flights, top-ranked airport

Recognizing Tampa Bay's potential as a vacation destination, Lufthansa German Airlines now have nonstop flights from Germany to Tampa Bay. Lufthansa in one of the growing list of international carriers at Tampa International Airport including Latin America's Copa Airlines, Switzerland's Edelweiss Air, British Airways and Air Canada, which added flights to Tampa Bay on its Rouge service from Montreal NEW in 2016. 

In surveys, travelers rank TIA No. 2 in in the U.S. and No. 5 in the world for customer service. It has the U.S.'s quickest TSA lines.

Tampa Riverwalk: Walking, biking paradise

The new Tampa Riverwalk stretches 2.4 miles (4 km) along downtown's sparkling waterfront from Ulele restaurant to the Tampa Bay History Center. It links popular attractions — five major hotels, eight restaurants, four museums, and 18 historical monuments — like gems on a string. After dark, the Riverwalk becomes a canvas for shifting colors of light, joining downtown's bridges and the Tampa Museum of Art in the nightly display.

If you favor rubber wheels over shoe leather, rent a ride from Coast Bike Share, which has stations along the Riverwalk.

Experience the ambiance of the Riverwalk and see for yourself what makes it a vital part of your stay in Tampa Bay.

“Best beer town in the South”

Today, Tampa Bay has become Florida's hub for craft brewing. Two dozen (and counting) local brewers that produce award-winning drafts. Our best-known brewer, Cigar City Brewing Co., is gaining a reputation worldwide and is named one of the best craft brewers in the world by RateBeer.com and as the region's best brewery by USAToday.

New in 2016, Rock Brothers Brewing will blend beer and music at its new Ybor City brewery. And, Tampa Bay's own Brew Bus adds a brick-and-mortar tasting room to its booming business.

Discover more of Tampa's Best Breweries when Tampa Bay Oktoberfest takes over downtown's Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in the fall.

Creative cuisine earns national accolades

Diverse menus and creative chefs have put Tampa Bay on every foodie's must-try list. Travel & Leisure has named Tampa Bay among the most creative food scenes in the country. The Refinery, ranks among the Top 10 Eco-Conscious Restaurants in the U.S. Legendary Bern's Steak House, home to the world's largest wine collection, routinely tops its competitors across the nation.

Among other unique restaurant that imbue their menus with

Tampa Bay history and culture are Ulele, Oxford Exchange, and the Columbia, Florida's oldest restaurant.

Learn more here about Florida's most culinary treasures.

Test your courage at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Half way up Falcon's Fury, North America's tallest drop tower, your heart starts to beat faster. Soon you're looking straight down at the ground 335 feet (102 meters) away. Then things get really wild on Falcon's Fury. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has 300 acres (121 hectares) of thrill rides, stage shows, wildlife — all a short trip from downtown.

New in 2016, Cobra's Curse sends your whole family swooping and spinning through an Egyptian archeological dig.

Need to slow down? Travel into the sprawling Serengeti Plain to visit rhinos, zebras, and gazelles. You can even feed a giraffe.

130 years of cigars & Cuban culture

Tampa Bay's historic Latin Quarter, Ybor City (“EE-bore”) made Tampa Bay's reputation as the Cigar Capital of the World. Descendants of Cuban, Spanish, Italian and German immigrants still make cigars by hand and smoke them while sipping café con leche before heading out to restaurants or nightclubs.

The world-famous Cuban sandwich was invented in Ybor City.

You can also visit Cuba without leaving the U.S.: A park honoring Cuban revolutionary José Martí was the only Cuban-owned piece of American soil for 53 years — until Cuba reopened its U.S. embassy in 2015.

Avast! There be pirates here!

Each January, the scurvy crew of legendary pirate José Gaspar sails into Tampa Bay with cannons blazing. Get into the spirit by pulling out your best pirate gear to greet Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla as they lead the country's third-largest parade down scenic Bayshore Boulevard past 300,000 cheering fans.

The invasion aboard the nation's only fully functioning pirate ship, kicks off Gasparilla Season: 8 weeks of parades, festivals (arts, music, and film), and sporting events.

Click Here to experience what makes Gasparilla Florida's most exciting experience and the third-largest parade in the country.

Florida's only destination with CityPASS

For less than half the normal cost of a ticket, CityPASS gets you into some of Tampa Bay's most popular attractions.

Fly like a falcon at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Dive with sharks or play outside in the NEW in 2016 2-acre water zone at The Florida Aquarium. Come face to face with manatees at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, named the best zoo in the U.S. by Parents magazine. Build robots or ride a bicycle 40 feet (12 meters) above the ground at MOSI, the Museum of Science and Industry.

CityPASS costs $99 for adults, $89 for children 3-9 years of age -- a 51% saving compared to buying all the tickets at full price.

Lots of options for every kind of shopper

Anyone looking for a little retail therapy will find all kinds in Tampa Bay. The region's luxury shopping destination, International Plaza & Bay Street, has more than 200 shops.

NEW in 2016, open-air Hyde Park Village near downtown is expanding, adding new restaurants and high-end retailers.

Also NEW in 2016 is Simon Premium Outlets' Tampa Premium Outlets. Just 20 minutes north of downtown, it has nearly 100 retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, Michael Kors, and Calvin Klein.

Westshore Plaza, many other malls and weekend markets make Tampa Bay a shopping centerpiece.

Tampa Bay's a hot spot for meeting manatees

November to April, the Manatee Viewing Center at the TECO Big Bend Power Station shelters hundereds of manatees. An observation deck and nature trail make the center a great place to see Florida's State Marine Mammal. All year long, you can come face-to-face with manatees at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, one of three locations in Florida licensed to rehabilitate injured manatees. The zoo includes an underwater manatee viewing area and a manatee hospital. Manatees also turn up frequently along the Tampa Riverwalk and Bayshore Boulevard.

Bring a swim suit and Slide the City

On May 14, a street in downtown will be turned into an enormous water slide for the day. Slide the City will take over North Boulevard, which includes a bridge over the Hillsborough River with stunning views of the city skyline.

Grab a raft and join the thousands of people zooming down the 1,000-foot impromptu water slide created by Sack Lunch Productions.

Later, head to Adventure Island for some more water-slide action on the NEW Colossal Curl or visit nearly Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for a water-logged trip down the Congo River Rapids.

Home away for every type of traveler

Tampa Bay's supply of hotels has something for every traveler.

NEW in 2016, guests at the luxurious Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel will discover a stylish new interior, thanks to a major renovation. New hotels are in the wings for downtown and Ybor City.

Three boutique hotels echo Tampa Bay's love for the modern, the historic and the delicious. Aloft Tampa Downtown has

created an exciting modern hotel steps from Tampa Riverwalk. Restoring Tampa Bay's Beaux Arts-style courthouse earned

Le Méridien Tampa honors from Condé Nast Traveler and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Epicurean Hotel was built for food lovers, with a kitchen theater and The Edge rooftop bar, Tampa Bay's chic hang-out.

The best big city in the Southeast U.S.

Ask the American media. In 2015, Money magazine voted Tampa Bay among the five best cities to live in the U.S. Money called Tampa Bay an “urban gem,” with cultural attractions like the Tampa Museum of Art and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. WalletHub put Tampa Bay among the U.S.'s most affordable "foodie" scenes in the country.

Tampa Bay has attracted $4 billion in new investment, including $1 billion from Microsoft founder Bill Gates, that will make Tampa Bay an even better place to visit.