Florida is working to bring tourism back to the Gulf Coast after hurricanes

Tourism officials on Florida’s Gulf Coast say people are concerned in one respect can help the area recover is to visit as a tourist, even though some beaches are still closed to the public and there is still rubble next to the streets recent hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The tourism promotion agency for the St. Petersburg-Clearwater area said in a news release that 80% of the area’s hotels and businesses are open, even as cleanup and repair continues.

“Many people have asked, ‘How can I help?’ and the answer is this: Come by and support our local entrepreneurs when they need you most,” Visit St. Pete-Clearwater said in the news release Friday. “You can also participate in beach cleanups, attend fundraisers and donate.”

Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Florida’s Big Bend region last month. Milton made landfall earlier this month as a Category 3 hurricane on a barrier island in Sarasota County.

The state Tourism Promotion Agency says it plans to spend $5.7 million to promote Florida as a tourism destination after the hurricanes.

The first phase of the campaign will focus on social media promotion of areas of Florida that were relatively unaffected by the storms, such as Pensacola, Panama City Beach and Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

The second phase will spend $3 million promoting areas affected by the storms but already recovered, such as Naples and Fort Myers.

According to Visit Florida, the final phase will provide direct marketing assistance to the counties hardest hit by the storms in the St. Petersburg and Sarasota areas, and rural areas in the Panhandle.