Mother nature decided to pay an unwelcome visit to Florida recently and Hurricane Irma hit some parts of the state hard with plenty of damage and chaos caused, but this enduringly-popular tourist destination is definitely open for business.
Here is a look at the impact of the hurricane damage and how you can play your part in kickstarting the economy and ensuring that the financial impact is kept as low as possible.
Tourism is the lifeblood of the area
Make no mistake, Florida needs tourists, as it is the vacation-seeking visitors who contribute greatly to the tourism income that runs close to contributing close to $90bn of the income that fuels the sunshine state’s economic engine.
When you are looking at those sorts of numbers you soon appreciate the devastating impact that Hurricane Irma could have on the area in so many ways, which is why there is a steely determination to do everything possible to ensure that the whole of Florida is open for business.
Generating the tourism dollars
If the areas that were affected by the storm are going to be able to return to some sort of normality as soon as possible it needs tourism to bounce back and U.S citizens to come in their numbers as well as overseas tourists.
You will find plenty of “open for business” signs in places like the Marriott Beach Resort and Marina and the state’s official tourism body, Visit Florida, is working with thousands of hotels and local business owners to get that positive message across.
Florida is renowned as a popular venue for domestic tourism and there is a strong emphasis on encouraging citizens to show their support alongside international visitors, by spending time and money in the area.
Social media efforts
It is worth remembering that the last time a devastating hurricane hit the area, social media sites like Twitter didn’t even exist, so the tourism industry and travelers have an opportunity to use these sites to spread a positive message.
The other benefit worth considering if you are planning a trip to Florida is that part of the effort to encourage visitors to return to the area in large numbers and not worry about any negative misconceptions, which are mainly wide of the mark anyway, is that there are deals and discounts to be had.
Pictures of an unblemished beach that managed to swerve Irma’s fury all help to reinforce the positive message that can be conveyed across all the major social media sites like Twitter and Facebook etc.
You can do your bit toward the economic recovery by arranging a trip to Florida soon and maybe sharing your images and experiences that confirm many parts of the state are functioning as normal.
Some areas and attractions were clearly affected by Hurricane Irma, but that’s, even more, a reason to help inject some much-needed tourist dollars into the economy, so consider giving it your support and you might even manage to grab a good deal at the same time.