Tourism gradually recovering in Bradenton area. Travelers still have safety concerns
State government’s approval of Manatee County’s plan allowing short-term rental operations to resume on May 21 produced a ripple effect felt well beyond the landlords who own 85 percent of the rentals in the Bradenton-Anna Maria Island area.
Restaurant owners benefited in a major way, too, said John Horne, owner of four Anna Maria Oyster Bar restaurants.
“You cannot imagine the difference in sales from before and after that opened up,” Horne told members of the Manatee County Tourist Development Council on Monday.
Monday’s meeting was held in the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto.
“I can tell you four weeks ago we were operating at 47 percent versus the same week last year. Last week we were up to 93 percent of where we were the same week last year. Increasing that volume is making it easier to be open,” said Horne, representing the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.
Most of the out-of-county visitors at Horne’s restaurants are Floridians, coming from neighboring Hillsborough County, and other nearby counties, he said.
Even so, recovery in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a struggle for everyone, Horne said.
“As we ramp up and we go through the different phases of opening back up, there are still some restaurants that have not opened their doors for various reasons,” Horne said.
That hesitancy hinted at in Horne’s report to the tourist development council was also reflected in an analytical study of traveler sentiment, presented by Ann Wittline of Research Data Services.
“People are feeling stir crazy and can’t wait to get out of their houses,” Wittline said, but added many have significant concerns about safety during the pandemic.
“It’s a bit of a two-edge sword. They are thinking about the reality of taking a trip. That is a positive sign,” she said.
Whatever mode of travel they might be considering to reach the Bradenton-Sarasota area, flying on an airline is probably not their first choice.
Passenger traffic at SRQ saw a fourfold increase to 39,988 passengers in May, compared to 9,742 passengers in April when activity was at a standstill because of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Mark Stuckey, the airport’s executive vice president and chief of staff.
Air travel is slowly rebounding, helped by all passengers being required to wear masks and the airlines’ increased emphasis on sanitation. Even so, there can be wide differences between airlines on seating practices. Allegiant has been flying full flights out of SRQ with no passenger spacing, while Delta has 50 percent seating in first-class and 60 percent elsewhere.
While passenger traffic has improved at SRQ, it is coming nowhere close to the volume enjoyed before the pandemic. Stuckey said he hopes that passenger traffic returns to at least 75 percent of normal by next year.
Being a smaller airport offering nonstop flights and without the long concourses in larger airports has worked to SRQ’s advantage, Stuckey said. Passengers have the confidence of being able to quickly get to parking or their destination without a layover at another airport.
The airport could help stimulate business by reducing rates that its struggling carriers and tenants pay, given SRQ’s strong financial situation, Stuckey said.
With the problems the airline industry is experiencing, the tourist development council is not ready to spend money to promote air travel to this area at this time, said Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitor Bureau.
The drive market has assumed greater importance during the pandemic, Falcione said.
“They are making a 12-to-14-hour drive to come here, which means they are more likely to stay longer,” Falcione said.
One of the key factors in rebuilding the tourism market could be sports, he said.
During the pandemic shutdown, the Bradenton area experienced 40 canceled sports tourism events, the loss of an estimated 26,000 room nights and an economic loss of $35 million, said Sean Walter, director of sports for the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Going forward, Bradenton Area Sports has place bids for eight events to be held between 2021 and 2025. Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch has tentatively scheduled 20 events between 2020 and 2022.
Given the reality of the pandemic, the tourist development council looks to attract smaller regional and state tourneys, increase technology use for online registration and use more live streaming, and change the design and flow of seating, public restrooms and vending areas. There will also be stepped up social distancing, sanitation and training, Walter said.
This story was originally published June 15, 2020 at 2:48 PM.
