DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Volusia County businesses usually rely on big events like Bike Week and the Daytona 500 to draw in customers, but fore more than a year, business owners have been struggling with smaller crowds.

There is now a glimmer of hope for the beachside business community that is struggling to stay afloat. Tourism tax dollars were up 13 percent this September compared to September 2008.

Some say the upswing is an early indicator that consumers are gaining confidence.

Cindy Boham said she now has more extra cash for family vacations and she chose Daytona Beach for its affordable hotels and restaurants, one of the reasons why tourism experts said smaller coastal communities will be the first to bounce back.

"We have established ourselves as a value destination and I think looking at scarce dollars, it's getting better and better, but it's going to take a lot more to make it better,"

One business owner warned that though merchants are nowhere close to being out of the woods yet, he said one spike in tourism is nothing to be dancing around about, because the city needs business year-round.