Tourism rebounds
Beach businesses report a successful summer season

Lisa Newell/Gulf Breeze News Buck Lee, General Manager of the Santa Rosa Island Authority, says the 2007 summer tourist season was a successful one. Not only were sales figures up over projections, but also many of the construction projects to repair and rebuild from Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis were completed this year.

It was a year for the record books on Pensacola Beach.

Recovery from the one-two punch of storms in 2004 and 2005 is well underway, as most, if not all, businesses reported increased traffic and sales.

"It's been a good season," said Sandy Johnston, Executive Director of the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce. "I've seen smiles on faces."

One of the surprising phenomena Johnston noted is that Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina are beginning to return to Pensacola Beach, and they are introducing it to people from some of the places where they migrated.

Santa Rosa Island Authority General Manager Buck Lee said the Labor Day weekend was a great ending to a profitable summer on Pensacola Beach. Most businesses outperformed the two percent increase the SRIA projected in its budget.

Lee said the SRIA will continue to offer live music at the Sundays on the Sound series through September and the Bands on the Beach series is extended through October.

Meanwhile, construction on Via de Luna is expected to be completed by October 10, completing the list of upgrades the authority performed this year in an effort to recover from Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis.

In November, the Dunes hotel is slated to reopen as a Holiday Inn Express. Piles are already driven into the sand at the base of the Pensacola Beach Pier for a planned restaurant.

The Grand Marlin Marina and Restaurant is expected to begin construction at the site of the former Boy on a Dolphin and Cocoanuts Restaurants.