Vacation rentals in Manatee are safe despite COVID-19, owners say. They may soon reopen
The Manatee County Tourist Development Council on Monday took a first step toward allowing the reopening of vacation rentals.
After the 7-0 vote, the reopening recommendation goes to the Manatee County Commission for approval, and coordination with Anna Maria Island cities, Longboat Key, Bradenton, and Palmetto to ensure procedures and protocols are in place to protect visitors and residents from COVID-19. The reopening plan would be submitted to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for final approval.
The Manatee County reopening plan follows guidance by Gov. Ron DeSantis that he announced on May 15.
DeSantis’ ban on vacation rentals to flatten the curve on the coronavirus pandemic, in place since March, has been devastating to Manatee’s tourism industry. Vacation resorts account for about 85 percent of short-term rentals in Manatee County.
Reopening of the vacation rental market can’t come fast enough for owners of those homes.
“It is costing our life savings right now. We are just barely hanging onto our homes right now,” one property owner said, who called into the TDC’s meeting conducted over Zoom.
Fifty-five independent vacation rental owners sent a letter Sunday to the tourist development council and the county commission saying that they can easily handle the protocols necessary to keep visitors and residents safe, and were ready to reopen Monday.
“These programs and COVID-19 guidance resources are already in place and and utilized frequently in addition to advanced measures by many vacation rental operators,” the letter said.
“It is our opinion that vacation rental operators and Manatee County officials don’t need to re-create more new policies and procedure. We suggest using the guidance that has been provided already for businesses to safely operate throughout the pandemic,” the letter said.
The property owners recommended that rentals by visitors from high risk ares such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Louisiana be for periods longer than the quarantine period. Those guests would have adhere to quarantine restrictions or be subject to civil and criminal penalties.
“For the safety of all residents and visitors, we will encourage our tourism partners not to rent to guests from high-risk areas,” the letter said.
The TDC also heard the results of a traveler sentiment survey that showed that the willingness to travel is slowly beginning to improve, with the preferred method being by car.
Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said that a plan is already in place to market the Bradenton area and Manatee County islands with recovery from COVID-19.
“We did pause advertising two months ago,” Falcione said, and noted that budget revenue is down 30 percent for the fiscal year.
Plans to resume marketing the area will be on a go-slow basis with care being taken to protect the council’s reserve, he said.
“Manage those expectations,” Falcione said.
Unlike Monday’s remote meeting, the next TDC meeting will be held June 15 in the Bradenton Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto. The TDC members will practice social distancing as they return for another update on the recovery of Manatee County’s largest economic driver, tourism, from the COVID-19 pandemic.
