1st Conference Since COVID Shutdown Marks New Starting for South Florida Tourism Business – NBC 6 South Florida

The very first meeting at the Miami Beach Convention Center since the COVID-19 shutdown marked a milestone in South Florida’s economic comeback.

The convention center on Tuesday was laden with jewelry worth millions. The attendees of this fair are part of the influx of visitors helping tourists get their jobs back.

Ivanna Gonzalez is again heading the front desk at the Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel in Miami Beach.

“It’s something that I’ve put my heart and soul into – from an entry level position to my job,” said Gonzalez.

She saw everything go away in 2020 when the pandemic turned everything off. She lost her job.

“It was definitely sad,” said Gonzalez. “I was wondering if this was the beginning of the end of my career in hotels.”

Mohan Koka is the general manager of Surfcomber.

“Unfortunately we had to fire the vast majority of them,” said Koka, who found his way into the hotel business after graduating from the FIU.

For part of 2020, his property was a ghost town.

“These are definitely tough times because there was so much uncertainty about how the tourism industry would recover,” said Gonzalez.

The way it looks now at the end of March is day and night. At the pool and in the garden of the Surfcomber, the day races by for waiters, housekeepers and guests.

“I got a call from Mohan and I definitely didn’t think it was for the call back to work,” said Gonzalez. “So I was very happy when he said to me, ‘Are you ready to come to work?'”

“What I’m most excited about is seeing our people – our team members – come back and take care of our guests,” said Koka.

Visitors drive over Miami Beach from MIA, where pre-COVID-19 passenger traffic has returned to around 80% of its peak. The South Florida hotel industry states that overall occupancy is around 80%. They also say it was much like this time of year before the pandemic.

“Yeah, we’re very excited about what we saw,” said Koka. “It’s great to be on South Beach during this recovery.”

“I think we saw COVID piling up demand for travel,” said Bill Talbert, president of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Talbert said jewelers ready to be the first at the Miami Beach Convention Center is a sign.

“The Jewelers International Showcase has been here for 41 years. They are moving in and starting their first day … I am here to tell you that they just reported that their registration has exceeded record levels in the past, “he said.

When it comes to hotel prices, as measured by NBC 6, there aren’t any general price cuts just to get people here – the cold and COVID-19 restrictions in much of the country only keep people ready to get out in the sun walk . When it comes to the next Miami Beach meeting, plastic surgeons are next and doctors will be there soon.