DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Businesses in Daytona Beach say they are feeling the economic hit after videos of last week’s unsanctioned Daytona Takeover event went viral.
Organizers did not sanction the pop-up event, which brought an estimated 9,000 to 10,000 people to the city for the first weekend of spring break. That influx came the week before colleges and other states began their spring breaks this week.
Airbnb hosts and hotels report questions and cancellations tied to the viral videos, and property managers say they are working to reassure guests that Daytona Beach is a family destination.
“It’s detrimental to our entire economy. We are a tourist-based economy, whether anyone wants to recognize that or not. So, when major events like this happen that are negative and continuously pushed it impacts all of our income, all of our bottom line,” said Krista Goodrich.
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Goodrich manages vacation rental properties throughout beachside Volusia.
Videos of the crowds from the unsanctioned, pop-up Daytona Takeover event on March 14 went viral. Goodrich said she has been reminding customers that the area is safe for families.
“We had not only cancellations but owners reaching out to us, we had investors reach out to us that aren’t interested right now,” she said.
The Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors’ Bureau said it has invested millions of dollars over the last few years in campaigns in major cities such as New York, Atlanta and Nashville to market the city as family-friendly rather than a spring-break party destination.
“Some people remember us from decades ago and while they probably had a great time while they were here, we’ve grown up and so have they and this is now a different destination. If you even look at our hotel product, it’s changed so much,” said Lori Campbell Baker, Executive Director of the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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Campbell Baker said the bureau is increasing advertising in cities where families tend to have spending money and is adding more on-the-ground outreach.
“The idea is to make a statement, get out there, get noticed, and we have a team going out there to talk to people about coming to Daytona Beach,” said Campbell Baker.
The visitors’ bureau said the money for those advertisements comes from bed-tax revenue — taxes generated by hotel stays.