ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s one of the newest tours to hit the streets of Tampa Bay, but you’re not riding a bus, a trolley or Segway—in true Florida fashion, you're riding a golf cart.
Clint Bertucci has been an international tour guide for the past 10 years, taking groups on trips all over the world. Bertucci thought, why not start a tour in his own backyard?
He couldn’t wait to share his story with ABC Action News.
“It was very important because the main thing for me is that ABC is a pillar in the community, just like we try to show everybody what the pillars in the community are, and that meant a lot to me,” said Bertucci.
Bertucci said he wanted to shape the tour around something you don’t see in many other countries—something truly unique to Florida—and Tampa Golf Cart Tours was born.
“One of the first questions I get asked is, ‘Is it legal to drive on the road?’ And I say, ‘Yeah, it’s legal,’ said Bertucci. "Then we have seat belts, of course, and safety across the board—that’s the number one priority with us.”
What began with one golf cart in Tampa back in 2022 has expanded to four carts across two cities, which now includes St. Petersburg.
“It’s just a different feel. Just getting out there, you see and experience so many different things on a golf cart that you wouldn’t in a car, and I think people are learning to appreciate that,” said Bertucci.
He said his favorite part about being a tour guide is the opportunity to share his passion for Tampa Bay. Bertucci meticulously maps out each tour, from the attractions to the stops, from the hip to the historic.
“The Hollander, that’s our starting point, a lot of history with this hotel,” said Bertucci as he picked up one of his daily tour groups.
Dave Hodgkiss and Sharon Gilligan are visiting from England, and they said this kind of tour is literally a breath of fresh air.
“It’s very open. I mean, our equivalent would be an open-top bus in London, and this, you are street level, you can see everything. Your view isn’t blocked,” said Gilligan.
Bertucci's golf cart dreams are only getting bigger as he plans to expand the tour to Clearwater and Sarasota.
“I’m very proud of that, and I think we get to show the best of the best in the Tampa Bay Area. There is so much to show and so much to be proud of. We love being a part of that,” said Bertucci.
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