Florida braces for Spring Break visitors while facing staffing shortages

Spring break is back in Florida

Justin Matthews reports

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of South Florida and a majority of public schools in the Tampa Bay region, schools in Polk County being an exception, are on Spring Break starting Monday. Plus, Florida is expecting millions of people to visit.

This time of year is a huge economic booster for the Bay Area region, but hotels and restaurants are bracing for the influx of visitors while they are experiencing a labor shortage. Many are operating at just 50% staffing levels.

Hotels are still setting booking records this week.

Hotels are trying to recruit more staff through sign-on bonuses, pay-raises, all while bringing in temporary workers from other countries, according to the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.

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The number of visitors in Florida during the final quarter of last year surpassed the visitor count for the same quarter before the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism is officially back and in this state, that's a big deal.

PREVIOUS: Florida's latest tourism numbers higher than before pandemic, DeSantis says

A Daytona Beach hotel owner is warning tourists ahead of time that some services may be cut short because they don’t have enough staff.

"If you want service every day, if you need towels or linens, we'd be happy to do it for you. But if we can, if we can skip a few rooms because people don't need that service, it just frees our people up to do other things," said Rob Burnetti, the owner of The Shores Resort and Spa.

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Some hotels made the difficult decision to raise prices and cut services like daily room cleaning.

It’s not stopping people from coming to vacation in our area. The CEO of Visit St. Pete Clearwater says tourism demand for Tampa Bay remains strong.

"You have the visibility of this area. Keep in mind, the amount of attention that was paid because of our sports teams that continue to be paid because of our sports teams. You have that element," said Steve Hayes, the CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater. "I also think you have people who have moved here over the last year that have come here, and now their friends are now saying, ‘Wait a minute, does that mean I can come visit?’"

Some hotels are saying they are sold out when rooms are still available. The average price for a hotel room in Tampa Bay is $215 per night.

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