Unhealthy winter climate may very well be a lift to Florida tourism

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – The extreme winter weather for much of the country this week could convince some reluctant tourists to come to Florida now.

Kimberly Spence Jensen, of Anchorage, Alaska, said she and her husband decided to come to West Palm Beach last week.

“It was getting really cold and we were a little tired from the snow,” said Spence Jensen.

“I was comfortable on the plane and we have masks and it wasn’t a deterrent for us,” she added.

Tourism officials say it was far from normal tourist season because of COVID-19.

“The good thing is we’re in recovery mode,” said Glenn Jorgensen, of the Palm Beach County Tourism Development Council.

Jorgensen said hotel occupancy in the area is below the normal 90 percent this time of year, but has now been over 50 percent and has grown slowly for the past two months.

“We do a lot of research, and that research tells us that about 80 percent of Americans are right now saying we are ready to travel,” Jorgensen said.

Vaccinations are also expected to restore travelers’ confidence across the country, and Jorgensen anticipates travel will be closer to normal by the summer.