Often short term rentals are marketed to vacationers and investors often look for vacation destinations to purchase.

Because of the size of the city, it has a pretty high murder rate, even by Mexican standards (it happens very far from the tourist areas so the vacationers see pretty much none of it).

And when we leave town Murphy's Law kicks in and the newly anointed, unproven co-host we have selected is unable to actually do the work that is required.My husband and I now plan our week+ travel for times when we aren't listing our unit for short term vacationers.

So that assures that we have vacationer demand.

Some common renters are long vacationers, traveling nurses, people who are having work done on their house that they needed to move out for (ie a water leak happened so the place is getting fixed and it will take a couple months to do all the work). 

You have the typical family oriented neighborhoods, Business districts, Amenity area like Busch Gardens, Wet & Wild, Raymond James Stadium which can bring in a good STR for games, and vacationers in general.I am open for discussion if you want to talk Tampa or help offer some neighborhoods for thought. 

You are talking about people  relocating  to  the  area for   work  or  in the  area  temporarily for  work  not  vacationers. 

--What specifically do vacationers look for in the Blue Ridge?  

I am in FL in an area where it is true vacationers. 

Lastly, if it isn't nice enough for vacationers, is it nice enough for ski area workers?