HOLMES BEACH — The Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Wednesday announced it has hired an executive manager to oversee sales and marketing.
The local tourism bureau has named Debbie Meihls, former advertising director for the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Convention and Visitors Bureau, to the executive manager position, which was previously titled marketing director.
Meihls replaces Jessica Grace, who left in June to take a position with the U.S. Travel Association.
“We’re excited about bringing in a new perspective, new ideas,” said Elliott Falcione, interim director of the Bradenton CVB.
Falcione announced the bureau’s new hire during a tourism industry meeting at Holmes Beach City Hall.
Meihls, who will start Monday, worked for the tourism bureau in Pinellas County for nearly 10 years and led co-op advertising efforts between the bureau and the county’s 13 chambers of commerce. In addition, Meihls said she worked on advertising partnerships with the Tampa Bay Rays, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and the Honda Grand-Prix.
“I’m looking forward to coming to Bradenton and bringing all my knowledge and skills to promote the area,” said Meihls, a Parrish resident. “It’s a beautiful destination and there are so many great, great things to do here.”
In other news, Anna Maria Island businesses reported last-minute reservations have been driving room reservations and recreation rentals recently.
Barry Gould, a Realtor for Island Vacation Properties, Inc., said he’s seeing interest from tourists who have rearranged their travel plans due to the oil spill.
“Business dropped off after the Fourth of July, it got a little rocky,” Gould said. “We’re finding the ones that we’ve lost, we’re making up for it from people who were going to go to the Panhandle.”
Tourism dropped 1.4 percent for Manatee County in June, according to the bureau’s monthly occupancy report.
Occupancy for the county was 56.7 percent last month, down from 58.1 percent in June 2009.
Tourism for Anna Maria and Longboat Key combined saw a 3.8 percent decrease from a year ago as the occupancy rate fell to 62.1 percent in June.
Lauren Sato, owner of Anna Maria Island Beach Bums, said she is pleased with business at her bicycle and kayak rental cottage on Pine Avenue.
“We’ve been really, really blessed, we’re seeing a lot of people from the Florida and Alabama area coming down,” Sato said.
Mary Ann Brockman, president of the Anna Maria Island Chamber, said the chamber is seeing European tourists make last-minute trips to the area after visiting another Florida city.
“They’ve gone to Orlando and have drifted over here for a day or two,” Brockman said. “We’re kind of shocked by the walk-ins from England and Germany. It’s really been quite a walk-in business lately.”
