Corona beer seemed a bigger concern than the coronavirus for the groups of college students visiting the Keys for the annual spring break debauchery of sunburn, hangovers and Insta- memories.
And although the Florida Keys marketing experts haven’t targeted the college crowd for several years, local lodging officials are thrilled so many of them chose to make the trek south this year.
“The spring break crowd doesn’t seem to care too much about coronavirus,” Jodi Weinhofer, president of the Lodging Association of the Florida Keys & Key West, said on March 11 following an association board meeting.
Coronavirus and related hotel cancellations topped the discussion during that meeting, she said.
“Our lodging customers are divided into two groups, transient travelers and group travelers,” association president Jodi Weinhofer told Keys Weekly. “Transients are any people not associated with a group event such as a wedding. And it’s true, our members have certainly been seeing cancellations from that market. Europe is on lockdown, so we’re losing our European business right now. We’re seeing cancellations for late March and early April, but fortunately, we’re not seeing everything for the next six months canceled. The group bookings and reservations seem to depend on where the people are coming from and what’s going on in their area. Groups are still considering their options, and are grateful that the properties are giving them options.”
Weinhofer said the association members are handling the uncertainties of the virus with professionalism and flexibility, recognizing the need to let people cancel or postpone their stays until things get settled.
“The good news is our members and hotels understand that they just have to let people cancel,” Weinhofer said. “In general, our clientele is older and wealthier and although we may not have any confirmed cases down here, we don’t know what’s happening wherever they’re coming from. They could be on lockdown. They may be concerned about flying. We don’t know what’s happening with everyone, so I’m glad people down here seem to be saying, across the board, that we’ll let you cancel or postpone your reservation.”
Key West and the Florida Keys have some qualities that bode well for the near future, including this summer, she added.
Weinhofer and others in the lodging industry are optimistic that the Keys will continue to benefit from the summertime “drive-down market” that comes mainly from in-state travelers and those from the Southeastern United States.
“We’re a very different destination with a lot of outdoor options and a lot of space between people,” Weinhofer said. “Many people can drive here instead of having to fly.”
The Keys also aren’t an amusement park sort of destination, where people are often crowded together in lines, shuttles, vans and rides, she said.
So the island chain could certainly benefit if people, tired of being cooped up and at home all spring, choose to drive to the Keys rather than take a cruise, go to Europe or visit an Orlando theme park.
“I think all those factors will make us a more attractive option and destination than other places,” Weinhofer said.
“I think, realistically, people down here should feel fairly calm,” Weinhofer said. “But there’s still the uncertainty and the understandable fear of the unknown, not knowing how long this will last or how bad things could get.”
She added that the hotel industry is taking all its cues and direction and getting all its information from the county health department.
Everyone at Wednesday’s board meeting was aware of a recent Facebook post involving an interview with a man in Manatee County, who said he thought he had contracted coronavirus while he was staying in Key West and constantly offering Asian visitors directions to the Hemingway House.
Weinhofer emphasized that Bob Eadie, administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County had quickly doubted the truth behind those statements.
“Mr. Eadie came right out and immediately said that theory is unlikely because there have been no other cases of the virus in Key West,” Weinhofer said.
“We certainly don’t need mixed messages getting tossed around, so our industry is directing everyone to the health department for the best possible information.”
On March 10, the Florida Department of Health reported 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19. On March 11, that number had jumped to 21 — or nine new cases. As of presstime, Broward has the most reported cases — four. But of the nine new cases, six originated on the west coast of the state in Collier, Pinellas and Pasco counties, ranging from Naples to north of Tampa. The youngest patient is 29, but most are in their 60s or older. There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Monroe County. To access an up-to-date list, visit floridahealth.gov and look in the left column.
