By Victoria Byrd-Harrington
After Hurricane season came to an end in late November, Pinellas County has worked to rebuild its coastal reputation through campaigns and safety measures, reassuring discouraged tourists that many beaches are now safe.
The fall hurricanes caused significant damage to Pinellas County beaches, including erosion, debris and contamination. To bring back tourists and help local businesses flourish, the city aimed to rebuild confidence by sharing safety updates and promoting the area through targeted campaigns.
To rebuild visitor confidence, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, the county’s tourism agency, launched a locally targeted campaign, Still Shining, a project that updated visitors on available beaches and businesses along the coast.
VSPC, in partnership with the City of Clearwater, helped organize storm recovery events at Clearwater Beach, including beach cleanups. They also promoted recovery efforts at Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach and participated in a post-hurricane
tourism webinar.
Jason Latimer, director of public relations at Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, emphasized the importance of encouraging visitors to return once repair and restoration efforts were underway.
While media coverage highlighted significant damage, much of it was already addressed, and most beaches are now open and safe for visitors, according to Latimer.
“We knew it was important to let folks know that they may have seen images on the news, but it didn’t really represent the entirety of the destination,” Latimer said. “Certainly, we’re working with local businesses and municipalities … to have folks come back and enjoy the beautiful award-winning beaches.”
Latimer explained that the tourism agency organized media efforts to encourage tourists to return. These efforts included appearances on Tampa Bay’s NewsRadio WFLA, The Ryan Gorman Show, as well as billboard advertisements.
Still Shining also attracted beachgoers with a collection of exclusive discounts on dining, hotels, attractions and spas. The discounts not only provided value but also reinforced the message that the beaches were safe and ready for enjoyment, despite ongoing recovery efforts.
Christian Wells, an environmental anthropologist with a doctorate in anthropology, explained that tourists shouldn’t be overly concerned about their safety at the beach. He emphasized that the county would not have reopened the beaches if they believed the hurricane’s effects were still a threat.
“The very first thing they would do is provide an assessment to see if there is contamination,” Wells said. “The local government would have to rely on environmental consultants to find the beaches safe for any visitors.”
In addition to restoring sand and infrastructure, the county’s experts would have carefully looked for contaminants such as sewage water, biological or chemical fungus and red tide, Wells added.
He stressed that the county would not intentionally “increase the risk for illness” to attract visitors back to the beaches.
Florida’s Healthy Beaches Program conducted weekly water samplings at Pinellas County beaches to test for enterococci, a bacterium that indicates the presence of E. coli, viruses and other harmful microorganisms. If the department found poor water quality, a warning would be posted, and a public service announcement would be issued.
Local visitors and tourists can view the state of their nearby beaches online if concerned with any health risks, including water contamination and other environmental factors.
Despite the county’s efforts to restore its beaches, some businesses feel tourists are still discouraged. Small business owner Diane Butterfield, who runs Kilwins Ice Cream – Chocolate – Fudge, a franchise in Madeira Beach, expressed her ongoing struggle.
After reopening following Hurricane Milton, her business struggled with low customer volume, reaching only 10% of normal operations.
“The challenges we’ve faced obviously are financial… making payroll, making rent {and] making inventory payments,” Butterfield said, emphasizing the financial strain of operating with fewer customers.
Over time, however, business gradually improved, with customer volume rising to around 25% of its usual levels. While the recovery had been slow, Butterfield remained hopeful, she said.
“There is clearly an effort to support businesses who have reopened,” Butterfield said. “We greatly appreciate and depend upon the support of residents and the few tourists who are here.”
While challenges remained for small businesses like Kilwins, the steady progress in Pinellas County offered the possibility of making a full recovery. The county’s work to restore its beaches has made the area safer and more inviting, providing a foundation for the revival of local businesses and tourism.