Florida makes unusual request for rescue tourism in the wake of devastating hurricanes: ‘Pitch in at beach cleanups’

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tourism officials connected Florida’s Gulf Coast opportunity 1 of nan ways concerned people can thief nan area recover is to sojourn arsenic tourists, moreover though immoderate beaches are still closed to nan nationalist and debris is still piled adjacent to streets from recent hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The tourism promotion agency for nan St. Petersburg-Clearwater area said successful a news merchandise that 80% of hotels and businesses successful nan area are unfastened for business, moreover as clean-up and recovery continues.

“Many group person asked, ‘How tin I help?’ and nan reply is this: Come sojourn and support our section businesses when they request you most,” Visit St. Pete-Clearwater said Friday successful nan news release.

“You tin besides transportation successful astatine formation cleanups, be fundraisers and donate.”

Helene made landfall arsenic a class 4 storm in Florida’s Big Bend region past month, and Milton made landfall earlier this month as a class 3 hurricane connected a obstruction land successful Sarasota County.

The authorities tourism promotion agency says it plans to walk $5.7 cardinal to beforehand Florida arsenic a tourism destination pursuing nan hurricanes.

The campaign’s first shape will attraction connected societal media promotion of areas of Florida that were comparatively untouched by nan storms, specified arsenic Pensacola, Panama City Beach and Islamorada successful nan Florida Keys.

The 2nd shape will walk $3 cardinal promoting areas impacted by nan storms but already person recovered specified arsenic Naples and Fort Myers.

The past shape will connection nonstop trading assistance to nan counties astir affected by nan storms successful nan St. Petersburg and Sarasota areas, and agrarian areas successful nan Panhandle, according to Visit Florida.