COCOA, Fla., Sept. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Within hours after Hurricane Dorian moved past Florida's Space Coast, the area's tourism industry started coming back to life.
Dorian's tropical storm-force winds and the tidal surge they whipped up had only minor effect on the Space Coast and its 72 miles of beautiful, well-nourished beaches. After Dorian, local businesses started opening up shop as quickly as the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 4. By Thursday, six large cruise ships had arrived at the reopened Port Canaveral, one of the world's busiest cruise ports.
"The storm certainly disrupted vacation plans for lots of travelers planning to spend their Labor Day holiday on the Space Coast, but everyone should know that our coast is clear already – we barely skipped a beat," said Peter Cranis, executive director of Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism. "The sun is out again and our many restaurants, hotels and attractions are back to normal operations."
One big reason this vacation destination is bouncing back so rapidly is Brevard County's historically ambitious beach restoration efforts. The county takes great lengths to continually renourish and protect its beaches – especially after hurricanes – using a portion of local tourist tax revenues earmarked for beach improvement. Area beach renourishment includes the addition of beach-quality sand and the occasional planting of sea oats on coastal dunes. The dune preservation also helps protect inland property and structures.
"We had some erosion here and there, but our beaches overall are in great shape. They're very resilient, thanks to the ongoing renourishment program," Cranis pointed out, adding that some repair to the south beaches area likely will be necessary.
This same dune system is also instrumental in protecting the area's fragile sea turtle population. Home to the largest sea turtle nesting grounds in the U.S., the Space Coast reminds its visitors that sea turtles and their eggs are protected at the state and federal levels, and it is illegal to touch them. Those who find sea turtles in need should contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC or (in Brevard County only) the Sea Turtle Preservation Society at 321-206-0646 for instructions.
On the special events front, the local calendar is now back to normal in Dorian's wake. The 34th Annual NKF Rich Salick Pro/AM Surf Festival, originally scheduled for Labor Day weekend at the Cocoa Beach Pier, is now set for Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 12-14. It will be followed by the regularly scheduled Space Coast Art Festival, in Viera (Oct. 19-20), Cocoa Beach Half Marathon (Oct. 20), and Downtown Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (Nov. 16).
Anyone with questions about existing hotel reservations, scheduled cruises from Florida's Space Coast, or individual attractions in the area should contact those locations directly or visit their websites. In addition, travelers needing future reservations can visit the tourism office's booking engine at visitspacecoast.com/hotels.
About Florida's Space Coast
Florida's Space Coast is a family friendly destination located 45 minutes east of Orlando. Encompassing Cocoa Beach, Melbourne and The Beaches, Port Canaveral, Titusville, Palm Bay and Viera, it is home to the world's second-busiest cruise port and 72 miles of beaches (the longest stretch in the state), as well as 190,000 acres of wetlands and waterways full of habitat found nowhere else. Florida's Space Coast is home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where rockets still soar into orbit. For more information, contact the Space Coast Office of Tourism at (877) 572-3224 or visit VisitSpaceCoast.com.
SOURCE Florida's Space Coast
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