Hotels, motels and condominiums are where visitors sleep, that’s a given. Where do our “valued seasonal" and visiting boats sleep? Of course the answer is marinas!
The Treasure Coast, bordering the Intracoastal Waterway on the east, Stuart serving as the east end of the Okeechobee Waterway and the Cross Florida Canal, and the St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Sebastian and Jupiter Inlets all combine to create a boating synergy that is unsurpassed in Florida. There have been assumptions for years that marine and boating played a significant role in our tourism economy, but how much of a role? We know how many hotel, motel and condominium accommodations there are but how many slips are there? Well, a quick tally indicates there are almost as many wet slips as hotel and motel rooms! How long do seasonal boaters stay? Why did they select Stuart and the Treasure Coast for their winter homeport?
This week, Talkin' Tourism on Florida's Treasure Coast hosts Gary Guertin and Robin Hicks-Connors invite several “valued seasonal boaters” into the studio who have selected Stuart for the first time, as well as boaters who have returned time and time again, to share their thoughts about Stuart and the Treasure Coast as a boater destination.
This will be particularly interesting in light of the fact that local tourism stakeholders have just concluded a tourism summit identifying Martin County’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Did community and tourism leaders identify the same strengths, weaknesses, and oportunities? Talkin' Tourism always enjoys hearing from our visiting guests to ensure we continue to meet their expectations as a regional destination.
Along with the valued seasonal boaters topic for the week, listeners who tune in will hear the latest updates from the Bahamas, Robin’s “This Week in Martin County History,” to fun activities and events coming up on the Treasure Coast.
Tune in to WPSL 1590 AM or http://www.wpsl.com/ at 10 a.m. today (Friday, 12/18/2009) and learn more about the tourism industry where our only job “is to help visitors have a great time.”
