Spring break boom boosts business owners' hopes: 'Noticeably busy'
Warmer weather and a loosening of restrictions has resulted in a spike in travel
FOX Business’ Ashley Webster on how Florida beaches are reopening with new COVID safety guidelines.
Spring break crowds have brought a much-needed boost to the hopes of business owners across the country after more than a year of struggle and hardship under coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions.
The boom was felt in Hot Springs, Arkansas, a tourist destination known for its naturally heated springs in the Ouachita Mountains, as the crowds began to return.
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"This year, it's big," Bill Solleder, Director of Marketing for Visit Hot Springs, told local news outlet THV11-TV. "It's noticeably busy downtown, very busy, some of the most busy crowds I've ever seen."
The sight of people shopping and going out has brought hope to local pizzeria owner Anthony Valinoti, who told the station he was almost ready to give up.
"I'm going to be completely honest with you, I didn't want to do this anymore," Valinoti said. "Two weeks ago, when people started coming back into the restaurant, I realized my personality was in the restaurant."
With spring break in full swing, the TSA reports a surge in travel with more than 1 million people flying daily over the past 10 days. Travel on Friday and Saturday more than doubled, reaching nearly 1.5 million, compared with the same period last year reaching just over 600,000 travelers.
Other tourist cities are seeing a surge in arriving travelers, including Las Vegas.
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Las Vegas recently eased coronavirus capacity limits to 50% to help revive Nevada's tourism-reliant economy, and tourists are taking advantage.
“We have a terrific crowd, and in fact this is the biggest crowd that we’ve seen since we reopened back in June,” Jay Kornegay, Vice President of Race and Sports Operations at the Westgate Sportsbook casino, told KLAS-TV. “It’s even a bigger crowd than the Super Bowl.”
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak also began allowing organizers to host large gatherings or events, including conferences, conventions and trade shows, with up to 250 people or 50% capacity, whichever is less. (iStock)
Visitors told the station that Sin City opening up was a huge draw to finally travel.
"I'm a first responder. I'm a nurse. This is my first opportunity to take a break," Citashe Givens told the station. "And why not Las Vegas? I've never been."
"And we came because it's Vegas, everybody needs to come to Vegas," tourist Jamie Coburn said.
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In Florida, a state well-known for spring break escapades, Tampa Bay is seeing a spike in travelers and crowded beaches. Tampa International Airport is projected to see an increase of 60,000 passengers per day this weekend, Bay News 9 reported.
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While many travelers are hoping to enjoy the warm Florida weather, many are still using caution.
Despite the coronavirus, spring breakers return to South Beach and walk along Ocean Drive that is closed to traffic on Thursday, March 12, 2021. Miami Beach officials are imposing an emergency 8 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew effective immediately, saying large, … ((Al Diaz/Miami Herald via AP))
“People were wearing their masks and staying 6 feet apart which was nice," Tampa resident Hayden Abreu told the station. "Because I don’t want to be around people right now you know? Everybody’s been good about it."
With travel ramping up amid warmer weather and people across the country eager to go out, health experts have urged Americans to remain vigilant as some states start to roll back coronavirus restrictions and others see spring break crowds.