Stuart Boat Show, Offers to Get You Boating to the Bahamas, and Marine Tourism

It's hard to believe it's already Stuart Boat Show time! Boy, does time fly when you are promoting tourism! (Gotcha! You expected "when you're drinking rum!")

As we did last year on the opening day of this Treasure Coast tradition, we are broadcasting from the offices of Allied Marine Group, located right in the heart of the show. Expected to draw great crowds of boating, fishing and outdoor enthusiasts, we'll give our listeners an overview of what to see and the line-up of great guests will give the inside scoop on the show and special offerings you won't want to miss.

AllSports Productions and Stuart Boat Show producer Rick Allen will share his thoughts on this year’s show, comparing it to the last several shows. The economy is getting better (they say) and people still want to have boating fun. John Smith, Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast president, will give a marine industry state of affairs update for the Treasure Coast area and share the importance of marine industries to the area's economy. Rozeta Mahboubi, executive director of the Martin County Convention and Visitors Bureau,  certainly understands the importance of marine related tourism to our area. If hotels are places where people sleep, marinas certainly are places where boats sleep. When you look at the numbers, there are probably more boat slips than hotel rooms in Martin County, so a lot of boats (and their owners) sleep in Martin County!

Of course a show would not be a Talkin’ Tourism show if it didn't have a Bahamas angle. Joining us from the Bahamas Tourist Office will be one of our favorite Bahamian ambassador's and a long time friend, Richard Treco. Richard will outline all the special offers available to boaters headed over to the Bahamas.

Then, drilling down to the “island level,” Christopher Pollock, member of the Bimini Tourism Advisory Board and representative of the Bimini Big Game Club, will share some thoughts on what the private tourism sector can do to support the efforts of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.

The hour will be action-packed and informative, so hoist your anchor, trim your sails and tune your radio (WPSL 1590 AM) and Internet dials to Talkin' Tourism for a boat-load of information!

Treasure Coast: A Boating Mecca

Sunset Bay Marina & Anchorage, Stuart, FL
PHOTO CREDIT: Sailblogs/svearendil

A drive around the Treasure Coast waterfront will attest to the fact that our valued seasonal boaters have returned en mass for another season. With so many miles of shoreline along the North and South Fork of the St. Lucie River, the wide Indian River Lagoon stretching the length of the Treasure Coast, and the Okeechobee Waterway/Cross Florida Canal connecting Florida’s West Coast to the East Coast, it is no wonder the Treasure Coast is a boating mecca.

This week we will broadcast live from Sunset Bay Marina and Anchorage in Stuart, Florida. Featured in this week’s show will be Buzz Billue, the Sunset Bay Marina harbour master, who has a legendary history along the Treasure Coast waterfront, as well as John Smith, the president of the Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast (MIATC). Among the topics discussed will be the importance of marine tourism to the Treasure Coast, how can we continue to enhance our region as a boating destination, and the importance of the Islands of the Bahamas as a destination for many Treasure Coast boaters.

What does art have to do with marine tourism? Well, Judy “JP” Nichols, waterfront coordinator for the Arts Council of Martin County, along with the Council's executive director Nancy Turrell, will be in the studio to promote the Arts Council’s newest art celebration, Waterfront Wednesdays at Sunset Bay Marina. In addition to our main topics, we will also update listeners on the sailfish tournament season, what recent tournament set another record, what’s new in the Bahamas and around the Treasure Coast, and more.

See you on the docks Friday morning at 10:05! You can catch the show on your radio at WPSL 1590 AM or from your computer at www.wpsltv.com. Can you smell the salt air already?

Marine Tourism and the Gateway to the Bahamas

Allied Marine's waterfront conference room was a great spot to broadcast last week’s show at the launch of the 37th annual Stuart Boat Show. Special thanks to Jon Burkard, vice-president of brokerage sales for Allied Marine, a Ferretti Group Company for rolling out the red carpet for the Talkin’ Tourism team. The guest line-up could not have been more perfect with old friends reuniting and new friendships being kindled.

Stuart Boat Show producer Rick Allen led the discussion about the economic impact of the show to the Treasure Coast region, with specific insight on the numbers and dollars. John Smith, the president of the Marine Industries of the Treasure Coast (MIATC), shared how important the show is to the hundreds of marine industry firms and business in the area, as well as the show's true potential for continued growth.

Continuing to drill down to tourism specific impact, Rozeta Mahboubi, the executivie director of the Martin County Convention and Visitor's Bureau, explained the direct impact to local hotels, restaurants and related hospitality business.

Representing Bahamas Ministry of Tourism interests, Richard Treco from the Bahamas Tourist Office, expressed the Ministry’s very strong commitment to the Treasure Coast markets. It is very clear that the Treasure Coast is the Gateway to the Bahamas for thousands of boating and fishing enthusiasts. With the island of Bimini being the closest Bahama island to the U.S. mainland, Bimini Big Game Club’s Christopher Pollock was on our prestigious guest list and he shared some great upcoming events, tournaments and boating activities that are sure to be a magnet for folks headed to Bimini. Very exciting stuff!

Between hosts Gary Guertin and Robin Hicks-Connors' questions and comments, combined with the enthusiastic conversations by the guests, the hour seemed way too short. It was a terrific and fitting second anniversary edition of  Talkin' Tourism. If marine tourism is important to you, this week's program will help you truly understand why this segment of the tourism industry is so important. If you missed it, here's the audio file for our January 14 show covering the Stuart Boat Show and the Gateway to the Bahamas. And, be sure to check out the Stuart Boat Show slide show below.

A Treasure Coast Tradition---The Stuart Boat Show (and Cruiser Expo)

The Stuart Boat Show and Cruiser Expo cruise into
Stuart January 14-16, 2011.

With unsurpassed waterways, 22 miles of coastline, an inlet leading to the Gulf Stream and a position at the east end of the Cross Florida Canal/Okeechobee Waterway, Martin County is the definitely a boating, fishing and outdoorsman’s paradise.

With the Treasure Coast sailfish tournament season now in full swing, it is only a matter of weeks until the largest boat show south of Annapolis, Maryland sails in to Stuart, Florida. Rick Allen, president of AllSports Productions, the producer of the Marine Industries of the Treasure Coast owned show, is this week’s featured guest. Rick will share with Radio Man and History Lady what makes this 37th year of the Stuart Boat Show so special. With over $100 million in products on display and over 500 boats of every shape and size, this show is one not to miss.

A relatively new feature of the Stuart Boat Show is Cruiser Expo. Based upon the popularity of the cruising lifestyle, Cruiser Expo is the place to be to learn, mix and mingle with others who enjoy the art of cruising. During the course of the three-day weekend, informative seminars and information sharing will cover subjects for both the novice and seasoned skipper. We'll cover all the topics and details on the show. And, if you want more updates on the show, become a fan of the Stuart Boat Show's Facebook page.

It has been one month since History Lady and Radio Man have shared the studio microphones, which means a whole lot of catching up is guaranteed. Robin has big news on the Elliott Museum's Annual Classic Car Show and other great museum exhibits, which you won't want to miss.

As always, there will be Bahamas updates, Treasure Coast happening’s and lots of infotainment.

Join us this Friday at 10:05 a.m.. You can find us on your radio at WPSL 1590 AM or on the Internet at http://www.wpsltv.com.

It's a Pre-Season Kick-Off!

Soon, the Treasure Coast will witness a migration as consistent as that of the annual return of the sailfish to Treasure Coast waters each year. That’s right, the trickle of valued seasonal residents will soon begin and before you know it, the trickle will turn to a steady stream of those returning to their second homes and condominiums or filling hotels and vacation villas.

Often overlooked, but as important is the return of valued seasonal boaters. As a major maritime region, the Treasure Coast plays host to thousands of seasonal boaters each winter. So if a condo is where people sleep, would not a slip be where a boat sleeps?

While seasonal residents, landlubbers or yachties, are not truly considered “tourist” in the classical sense, they do contribute to our region's hospitality stakeholders in a big way. So, just how big an economic impact does this group make? We'll discuss that, as well as other contributions they bring to the Treasure Coast.

This week's guest include Todd Doss, Jeannie Baron and John Smith.

Todd  is a Realtor with ReMax of Stuart, and a three generation Floridian. He specializes in rental properties in the Stuart area. Jeannie is a Realtor with Beach Front Mann Realty has been involved in her industry on Hutchinson Island for over 20 years. And, John is the current president of the Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast and the general manager of River Forest Yachting Centers of Stuart and LaBelle, Florida. He'll share his insights on marketing the Treasure Coast as a major seasonal boating mecca for valued seasonal boaters.

In case you were thinking the word “snowbird," think again. This week, we'll let you know exactly what a snowbird is or is not.

Tune your radio dial to WPSL 1590 AM this Friday at 10:05 a.m. or your computer browser to www.wpsl.com for the live stream and enjoy the show. One thing for certain, the crew and guests on Talkin' Tourism on the Florida's Treasure Coast (and Beyond!) will certainly have a blast!

Fee-Based Customs & Border Protection Facility Movement

One of the frustrations of boaters returning from the Bahamas to the Stuart /Martin County area forever has been the requirement of having to go to north or south to clear U.S. Customs and Immigration.  Recent statistics acquired from the Bahamas Customs and Immigration authorities has determined that Martin County, Florida is, if not number one, in the top three departure points for vessels headed across the Gulf Stream bound for the Bahamas.  Presently, all vessels returning from the Bahamas MUST check back into the country by clearing U.S. Customs in Ft. Pierce or Palm Beach.  This has historically placed a burden on returning boaters, particularly those from Florida’s west coast, who depart from the St. Lucie Inlet after crossing the state through the Okeechobee Waterway/Cross Florida Canal.

This week’s show, featuring David Smith, general manager of Galaxy Aviation-Stuart, and John Hennessey, board member of the Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast, will shed light on a proposed plan to establish a fee-based customs and border protection facility at Witham Field in Stuart.  We'll discuss the research, Martin County's key role as a departure and return point for boaters returning from "Florida's Out Islands," whether or not boaters would be willing to pay for a fee-based service, and how a fee-based customs and border office might enhance marine-related tourism on the Treasure Coast.

Radio Man just returned from another diplomatic mission to the Bahamas.  He'll let you know what's new on Grand Bahama. And, Robin “History Lady” Hicks-Connors has been busy making things happen in the world of museums. Was fishing involved? 

Looks like another live remote from the Bahamas is in the works. Listeners will learn where the radio duo will soon be headed and more! Don’t miss this week’s show for fun, entertainment and tourism talk!