Jim Abbott

The Daytona Beach News-Journal

DAYTONA BEACH – Tourism fallout from the coronavirus pandemic is already taking its toll on spring break business at the World’s Most Famous Beach, where the annual student influx could be at less than half of its typical number by next week, according to one travel industry veteran.

“The reality is that the town is going to take a hit, the country is going to take a hit,” said Scott Edwards, manager at Daytona Beach Welcome Center, a company that has booked spring-break students into area hotels for decades. “Next week we’re down 50% percent.”

“We’re holding our own this week, but next week does not look good,” he said. “As the news gets worse every day, people have more time to think about it.”

On Monday, however, concerns about the virus weren’t spoiling the day for students and families hitting the sand and the amusement parlors along the Daytona Beach Boardwalk.

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"I’m definitely washing my hands, keeping my distance,” said Taylor Bastable, 18, of Tampa. A freshman at Florida State University, he was spending spring break with his family, without major plans to hit crowded nightspots.

“I’m with my family, so we don’t go to the bars,” said Bastable, tossing a football around on the beach behind the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort. “We do out day trips to the beach and keep pretty much to ourselves.”

Nearby, Jacob Collins, 22, of Louisville, Kentucky, lounged in the sand with a handful of friends who had driven to Daytona Beach.

“I’m just keeping up with the hand sanitizer,” said Collins, who works as a chef. “I’m not so much worried about it. Those affected are older folks. At least that’s what we’re hearing.”

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In addition to students, there also were families spending spring break on the beach.

At a table outside the Mardi Gras Fun Center, Rich Neal, 46, was preparing for lunch with his wife, two daughters and two grandchildren. The family had flown here to relatives from their home outside Akron, Ohio, where coronavirus panic was much worse than in Daytona Beach, Neal said.

“They are flipping out up there,” Neal said. “Down here, I haven’t let it bother me at all. Everything’s normal down here.”

Yet the situation is anything but normal for area hoteliers, who are bracing themselves for potentially staggering declines in occupancy if the virus continues to spread.

“We expect occupancy levels to be off by at least 60% for the next few months,” said Manoj Bhoola, president and CEO of Ormond Beach-based Elite Hospitality Inc.

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Elite’s roster of area hotels includes the Ormond Beach Best Western Castillo Del Sol; the Best Western Plus International Speedway; Hampton Inn by Hilton Daytona Speedway Airport; and the Hilton Garden Inn at Daytona Beach International Airport.

“We aren’t seeing the expected spring break students or families and anticipate a catastrophic drop in business,” Bhoola said. If the virus continues to hurt the travel industry, it could affect his company’s workforce, he said.

“The hotel industry is going to have to be prudent at this unprecedented time with all their expenses, which include payroll, unfortunately,” Bhoola said. “With a lack of customers, there obviously comes a lack of demand for employee’s hours.”

At the 91-room Sun Viking Lodge, there was a blitz of 55 cancellations within 72 hours over the weekend, said longtime owner Gary Brown. Roughly 95% of those guests will receive full refunds, Brown said, although the hotel is asking them to consider taking a credit for a future stay.

“They are canceling all the way through Easter,” Brown said. “Everybody has the ‘Sky is falling’ mentality right now. Everybody is panicking.”

The outlook also was bleak at the 212-room Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach Shores, said Rob Burnetti, the hotel’s general manager.

“I would characterize it as pretty devastating,” Burnetti said. “When you get into spring and summer months and you’re looking at 40% to 50% occupancy, it’s a tough pill to swallow.”

The hotel has cut back on its special events, such as its monthly Sip & Savor Wine Dinners at the hotel’s Azure Oceanfront Dining restaurant and pet-friendly Yappy Hour gatherings. The hotel is working hard to avoid cutting work hours or staff, he said.

“We just don’t think it’s a good idea to carry on at this point,” with the events, Burnetti said. “We want to comply with what’s going on locally as far as those efforts are concerned.”

On Monday, President Trump urged people to avoid crowds of 10 or more and recommended avoiding restaurants and bars.

At the same time, parking lots at hotels along Atlantic Avenue were crowded on Monday, an optimistic sign according to Bob Davis, president and CEO of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County.

“Disney World is closing and all these cruises are canceled, so a lot of people are saying, ‘We’re driving to Daytona,’ ” Davis said. “I’m amazed at the family spring break crowd. I’m seeing lots of breakers checking in.”

Burnetti, however, is less optimistic that the market will gain visitors forced to change theme-park vacation plans.

“I don’t think we’re in a situation to capitalize on that,” he said. “Because of the timing and it being spring break, I think people will postpone and we’ll be soft the next couple of months. I don’t know how motivated people are to travel right now if their current plans do change.”

In the wake of a recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for event organizers to cancel gatherings of 50 people or more, the upcoming slate of bookings at the Ocean Center convention complex almost certainly will be canceled, yet more bad news for hoteliers.

On Monday, organizers of the National Cheerleaders Association and National Dance Association’s Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship, one of the convention center’s biggest annual events, announced that event wouldn’t be happening as scheduled April 8-12 at the Ocean Center. The competition draws roughly 10,000 participants and fans.

“We do expect events to cancel,” said Tim Riddle, Ocean Center deputy director. “The hotel industry is going to suffer, the restaurants, pretty much any business in a travel-based economy such as Florida. A lot of people will have to adjust in the next couple months.”