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Pasco County ready to rebrand as sports tourism destination

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PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — In recent years, Pasco County has seen the addition of the Center Ice facility, volleyball courts at Hudson’s Sunwest Park and a zip line course at TreeHoppers in Dade City.

There's even more on the way with a $44 million indoor sports complex coming to Wesley Chapel.

Pasco tourism officials say with all the new additions mixed in with the biking trails, hiking trails and all the boating opportunities the county can be a destination for people looking to be active. 

The county’s tourism department, Visit Pasco, is teaming up with a big PR firm to get the word out.

They’ll be picking a new logos and rolling out a marketing plan. The slogan will become “Let’s Play.”

“Instead of coming in for a one-day tournament, they’ll stay here for a family vacation. And we will give them itineraries. Here’s great restaurants, here’s great hotels, here’s great activities,” said Longman.

Pasco’s boating business already got a boost this year with the return of a scallop season.

“Kayaking, wakeboarding, boating, hunting, fishing, everything is right here,” said boater Daniel Defranze.

While some are on board, others like Captain Wendy in New Port Richey took a little more convincing. 

She said at first, she wasn’t so keen about rebranding Pasco County as Florida’s Sports Coast. But now, the owner of Windsong Charters, says she’s all for it.

“Once I got into the whole report and saw there whole vision of it truly does encompass this entire county,” said Wendy Longman.