Taken together, Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater comprise a metropolitan area of more than two million. Thanks to the health-friendly climate, that number grows steadily. Included in the Tampa city limits is Ybor City, which, in addition to a world-famous cigar industry, holds most of the area's Latino residents and some of the hottest nightclubs in town. The seat of Hillsborough County, Tampa is one of the state's most important seaports. About 45 million metric tons of phosphate ore, fish, soft drinks, cement, lumber and canned fruit are exported yearly to destinations around the world, and a thriving fishing industry insures that the Bay area's seafood restaurants are provided with the freshest catch available.
Tourism is important too.
What follows is a quick summary of some of the information contained in the guide, hitting some of the highlights of each section. Complete listings with addresses and phone numbers of each attraction can be found in the respective sections. And Industry has a lot of great exhibits, and the Gulf Coast Hurricane tunnel is truly an experience, specially for visitors NOT living in this area of the country. Ybor City Brewing Company Conveniently situated in the lively Ybor City district, this attraction offers product tasting and an education on how beer is made. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge , as the name implies, carries motorists high into the sky over Tampa Bay, connecting the southern point of St. Petersburg with the rest of the mainland.