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Clearwater looks to boost tourism after hurricanes
FOX 13's Evyn Moon reports on the 30 plus tour operators and travel agents in Clearwater Wednesday to watch ‘Visit St. Pete-Clearwater’ showcase how the area is still shining in the wake of the recent storms – and how they're ready to welcome back guests to their beaches.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - More than 30 of the largest tour operators and travel agents were in Clearwater Wednesday night as the group ‘Visit St. Pete-Clearwater’ showcased how the area is still shining in the wake of the recent storms – and ready to welcome guests now with beaches fully open.
"In the wake of the storms, the timing couldn't be better, because I think that around the world all visitors saw was that, you know, the roof was off the Trop, cranes were through buildings, and they thought that Florida was gone," said Brian Lowack, the president and CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater. "And so the timing of this is perfect to get folks here on the ground and really see that over 80% of the destination is open. We're ready to welcome visitors back, and we can't wait to host them."
He said after Hurricane Helene, businesses that rely on tourism struggled, but they’re on their way to recovery.
READ: Florida tourism hits record high with more than 34M visitors despite hurricanes
"In the last two weeks, slowly but surely, visitors have started to show back up," Lowack said "And, it's such a great time to be here, because, as you can feel, the weather is turning. It's not crowded. And you can get some incredible deals right now."
The out-of-town travel agents got a taste of paradise this week.
"They experienced downtown St. Petersburg, the arts, the culture, the vibrant waterfront over there, as well as the culinary scene that we have down there," said Lowack. "What's so great about our destination is we have 35 miles of white sandy beaches, 10 different communities, and every experience is different. So we want to showcase the entire destination."
He said, surprisingly, most tourists coming to the St. Pete-Clearwater area are from the Tampa Bay area, enjoying a nice staycation.
MORE: Clearwater Beach reopens after hurricanes, hopes visitors spur storm-shattered economy
"The message is every night is a beautiful sunset. America's favorite beaches are still here. The sand is still there. Eighty percent of the destination is open," Lowack said. "We would encourage you to come experience it for yourself. I know it will go a long way with our local businesses."
There are deals happening right now for hotels and restaurants to incentivize people to come out to the area. You can find those details on stillshiningdeals.com.
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