Beach activity increase a boost to businesses

Reporter: Gail Levy Writer: Melissa Montoya
Published: Updated:
Businesses are seeing boom as crowds gather on the beach. (CREDIT: WINK News)

After the new year, many people have new resolutions, some include traveling to Southwest Florida beaches.

According to AAA, around 84 million Americans traveled for Christmas and New Year’s indicative of the crowds on Fort Myers Beach on Saturday.

Visitors say they’re sick of staying home in many states that are shut down so they’ve decided to travel to Southwest Florida.

“People just want to get out, they want to get out and do stuff. I mean, it is what it is,” said Glenn Smith of Matlacha.

Joanne Smith said she was shocked to see the traffic.

Residents say as long as visitors wear their masks and social distance, it’s OK for visitors to enjoy the sunshine.

The crowds at the beach are a welcomed surprise to businesses that have suffered during the pandemic.

And restaurants are the cleanest, next to hospitals, said Jason Ingream, owner of Mangorita’s, a restaurant on Fort Myers Beach.

“We’re all inspected multiple times a year, so we all take those extra precautions that we need to take now with the coronavirus, so it’s always a safe environment at all the restaurants here,” he said.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.