“ With the recent events , we believe that our guests are enjoying those spaces more – whether that means spending a few hours on a second story deck overlooking one of our Victorian neighborhoods , or taking the beach wagon and umbrella out for the day . We want the feeling of the hospitality we provide to extend beyond the interiors of our listings ,” said Kretsinger .
Leading St . Johns County ’ s VCB , tourism expert Richard Goldman said the agility of the hospitality and tourism industries has paid off in St . Johns County , citing the numbers . Traditional lodging in July 2021 saw a 78.6 % occupancy rate , up 62.1 % over last year and + 8.0 % over 2019 ; 63.3 %, for + 21.3 % fiscal year to date . Vacation rentals in July 2021 saw an occupancy rate of 63.8 %, up by + 15.9 % over last year and + 27.3 % over 2019 ; 47.7 %, for + 25.6 % fiscal year to date .
“ At the St . Augustine , Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau , we leveraged the lessons we learned responding
to our stakeholders ’ needs during hurricanes to positively react to the COVID-19 pandemic ,” said Goldman .
“ The key lesson was to frequently and directly communicate with visitors , tourism businesses and residents . We know how resilient the tourism industry is on Florida ’ s Historic Coast and how attractive our destination is to visitors , so we believe the worst is behind us and that travelers and meeting planners will find a “ new normal ” in the coming years . Tourism will continue to be a key economic driver for Florida ’ s Historic Coast and all of northeast Florida .”
Danielle Anderson has worked in the public relations and media industry for a decade . She started her career as a reporter for Flagler Broadcasting where she discovered her passion for telling the stories of communities in Florida .
OCTOBER 2021 | 25 |