Visitors flock to Florida beaches for spring break, bringing boost to businesses
DOWNRIGHT BUSY AGAIN. MATT: IN COCOA BEACH, SPRING BREAK’S COMEBACK IS BIGGER THAN EXPECTED, AND A WELCOME SIGN FOR BUSINESS OWNERS. >> LAST YEAR, I CLOSED THE RESTAURANT FOR THE PANDEMIC WITH COVID-19. MATT: THIS TIME LAST YEAR, LOCKDOWNS BEGAN. NOW, INSTEAD OF LEAVING, CROWDS ARE COMING. AT LATIN SHARK, WHERE THE MENU OFFERS A CULINARY VACATION OF ITS OWN — >> COLOMBIA, VENEZUELA, PERU, PUERTO RICAN. MATT: THE RESTAURANT RECENTLY MOVED AND EXPANDED, IN THE HOPE OF CATCHING MORE CUSTOMERS. THE SUNNY BUNNIES BOUTIQUE RECENTLY DID THE SAME. >> I’M JUST SEEING AN INCREASE IN PEOPLE. PEOPLE WANT TO GET OUT. MATT: JUST IN TIME, TOO, BECAUSE BUSINESS IS PICKING UP. >> A LOT FROM ORLANDO ARE COMING OVER FROM THE BEACHES. MATT: MANY BUSINESS OWNERS HERE IN DOWNTOWN COCOA BEACH TELL US THEY’RE SEEING VISITORS NOT JUST FROM ALL OVER CENTRAL FLORIDA, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, TOO. >> MICHIGAN, VIRGINIA, EVERYWHERE. MATT: THIS PAST WEEKEND, BEACHES IN BREVARD COUNTY WERE PACKED. >> WE’RE SEEING A LOT MORE OF THAT SPLIT DECISION, GET IN THE CAR, DRIVE FROM ACROSS THE STATE. MATT: AT THE REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OFFICE, CEO JENNIFER SUGARMAN TELLS US THE PRE-PLANNED BOOKINGS ARE STILL FAR FROM THE NORM OVERALL. BUT INTEREST FROM IN-STATE VISITORS IS HIGHER THAN USUAL, COMPARED TO PRE-PANDEMIC PERIODS. >> WE’VE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED 800% INCREASE IN VISITORS TO OUR — FROM WITHIN OUR OWN STATE TO OUR WEBSITE. MATT: IN COCOA BEACH, MATT LUPOLI, WESH 2 NEWS. SUMMER: THE COCOA BEACH REGIONAL CHAMBER IS NOW LOOKING A
Visitors flock to Florida beaches for spring break, bringing boost to businesses
Updated: 5:25 PM EDT Mar 16, 2021
One thing that many people missed out on in the past year was vacations.Spring break seems to be breaking that holding pattern. This time last year, the number of visitors to Central Florida plummeted as the pandemic began to take hold.Now, some spots in Cocoa Beach are back to being busy. It’s a welcome sign for business owners.At the regional Chamber of Commerce office, CEO Jennifer Sugarman said the pre-planned bookings are still far from the norm overall but interest from in-state visitors is higher than usual compared to pre-pandemic periods.”We’ve actually experienced an 800% increase in visitors to our website,” Sugarman said.Even as vaccinations and lower case counts give hope, business owners, visitors and locals alike are urged to keep up with safety precautions to stay on a path toward normalcy. See our full story with business owners in Cocoa Beach in the video player above.
One thing that many people missed out on in the past year was vacations.
Spring break seems to be breaking that holding pattern. This time last year, the number of visitors to Central Florida plummeted as the pandemic began to take hold.
Now, some spots in Cocoa Beach are back to being busy. It’s a welcome sign for business owners.
At the regional Chamber of Commerce office, CEO Jennifer Sugarman said the pre-planned bookings are still far from the norm overall but interest from in-state visitors is higher than usual compared to pre-pandemic periods.
“We’ve actually experienced an 800% increase in visitors to our website,” Sugarman said.
Even as vaccinations and lower case counts give hope, business owners, visitors and locals alike are urged to keep up with safety precautions to stay on a path toward normalcy.
See our full story with business owners in Cocoa Beach in the video player above.
