Red tide could impact tourism, but industry may come back ‘stronger,’ expert says. Here’s why.

Red tide has impacted restaurants and reservations, homeowners and fishermen. But will tourism data see the impact, too?

Addressing the Manatee County Tourist Development Council on Monday, Dr. Walter Klages, founder of Research Data Services, Inc., said the area “performed exceptionally” in June.

Tourism in the Bradenton area increased from 69,300 visitors in June 2017 to 73,800 in June 2018, Klages said during his presentation.

But, he told the Bradenton Herald after the meeting, he does expect to see a decline in upcoming reports because of red tide.

Klages said Manatee County and Florida will see some impact on tourism because of the red tide, but he believes it’s transitory.

“We’re going to survive it,” Klages said.

He pointed to the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in September 2017 as an example.

“In the wake of Irma, we recovered quite well,” Klages said. “It’s just a transitory event.”

Klages has been tracking the Bradenton and Manatee County area tourism numbers for almost 10 years.

Tourists who planned trips during the red tide bloom are likely postponing those vacations, Klages said, and during those rescheduled visits, the industry likely will see a surge. He added that taking care of the area’s beaches likely will pay off, too.

“The destination is going to make it through,” Klages said. “Ironically, we’ll be stronger than ever because we’re taking care of the assets.”

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport officials said traffic numbers were up 30 percent in July after several months of increases.

Mark Stuckey, senior vice president and chief operating officer for SRQ Airport, noted there were several reasons for the increase, including the addition of Allegiant Airlines, Frontier adding flights to Cleveland and the announcement that American Airlines would start service to Dallas-Fort Worth and Chicago.

“Having these ultra low-cost carriers like Allegiant, Frontier, it’s really going to bring prices down at our airport,” Stuckey said.

Of the 48.2 percent of tourists who flew to the area in June, 17 percent used SRQ, according to Klages.

For Charlie Hunsicker, director of Manatee County’s Parks and Natural Resources Department, it’s about the light at the end of the red tide tunnel.

Eventually, it will go away and the area has the keys to recover.

He pointed to Sarasota Bay and how it continued to improve over the years, as well as places such as Emerson Point, Robinson and Perico preserves, which will provide the “nursery stock for rebirth of the marine life we have lost.”

“Our balance here, our recipe for environmental balance, growth and prosperity is the right recipe, and I think we have just enough of all three to recover, restore and rejuvenate once the red tide recedes. And then be prepared when it comes again,” Hunsicker said.

Manatee County crews are working to clean up dead fish and other marine life washing up in the midst of a devastating red tide algae bloom.

“This is no easy task,” Hunsicker said.

A citizen information center hotline is live for red tide issues, said Hunsicker.

The hotline (call 941-749-3547) is staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.

This story was originally published August 20, 2018 at 3:56 PM.