Florida works to recover tourism on the Gulf Coast after hurricanes

Tourism officials on Florida’s Gulf Coast say one way worries people can help the area recover is to visit as tourists, even though some beaches are still closed to the public and debris still piles up along the streets of recent hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The tourism promotion agency for the St. Petersburg-Clearwater area said in a news release that 80% of hotels and businesses in the area are open to the public, even when cleaning and recovery continue.

“Many people have asked, ‘How can I help?’ and the answer is this: Come visit and support our local businesses. when they need you most,” Visit St. Pete-Clearwater said Friday in the news release. “You can also help with beach cleanups, attend fundraisers and donate.”

Helen made landfall as a category 4 storm in the Big Bend region of Florida last month. Milton made landfall earlier this month as a Category 3 hurricane on a barrier island in Sarasota County.

The state tourism promotion agency says it plans to spend $5.7 million to promote Florida as a tourist destination after the hurricanes.

The first phase of the campaign will focus on social media promotion of areas of Florida that were comparatively unaffected by the storms, such as Pensacola, Panama City Beach and Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

The second phase will spend $3 million promoting areas impacted by the storms but that have already recovered, such as Naples and Fort Myers.

The final phase will offer direct marketing assistance to counties hardest hit by the storms in the St. Petersburg and Sarasota areas, and to rural areas of the Panhandle, according to Visit Florida.