In this episode we’re looking at the impacts of hurricanes Milton and Helene on Florida’s tourism economy. Florida is such an important state for tourism that whenever a hurricane slams through it’s news. Here, host Rebecca Tobin, hotels editor Christina Jelski and Peter Ricci, the director of the Tourism and Hospitality Management program at Florida Atlantic University, talk about how the recent hurricanes might reshape the tourism landscape on Florida's Gulf Coast. We also discuss short-and long-term impacts to other travel destinations like Orlando and the right kind of marketing messaging that would encourage travelers to return after a storm. 

What’s the status of tourism in the hard-hit areas of North Carolina? We’ve added links to the show notes about travel organizations' relief and fundraising efforts. 

This episode was recorded Oct. 17 and has been edited for length and clarity. It’s important to note that this is a developing story, so any information in this episode about cities or regions might be change as the hurricane recovery process continues.

Episode sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways https://www.amawaterways.com

Related links:

After Milton's wrath, experts see a reshaping of Florida's West Coast https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Reshaping-Florida-tourism-after-Milton-and-Helene

How does American Airlines prep for a hurricane? A visit to its operations center shows how https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/How-does-AA-prep-for-a-hurricane

Relief efforts:

Internova charity arm seeks to help travel professionals affected by Helene https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Internova-help-for-Helene-affected-advisors

Carnival president skydives over Tampa for hurricane relief https://www.carnival-news.com/2024/10/19/carnival-cruise-line-president-christine-duffy-skydives-over-tampa-for-hurricane-relief

Community Resources and travel information, via Explore Asheville https://always.exploreasheville.com/