Business owners say crimson tide ‘perceptions’ take toll on tourism

MANATEE COUNTY (WFLA) – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reporting very low to medium concentrations of red tide in Sarasota County. Meantime, Manatee County waters continue to be in the very clear.

Locals hope with transforming wind patterns, it stays that way.

Despite no studies of crimson tide in Manatee County, neighborhood company entrepreneurs say reports of purple tide wherever in the area can influence seaside businesses negatively.

West Coastline Surf Shop operator Jim Brady claims in a lot of situations perception tops truth.

“Red tides in Fort Myers, 120 miles away can impact the whole condition. All people thinks Florida is somehow compact or some thing and if there is one thing likely on down there, 120 miles away, it could impact this space,” explained Brady.

Holiday rental property manager Jason Mooney observed it just lately with cancellations pursuing the incident at Piney Place.

“Whenever the news broke with the Piney Position incident, in about three or 4 hrs we even had persons reaching out to us from as considerably away as Germany. It just was a large amount of hysteria,” reported Mooney.

To overcome some of the perceptions tied to red tide in the earlier, Mooney and his colleagues at Island Holiday Homes started out obtaining intense with video clips on social media.

“We experienced a whole lot of folks thank us since we were on top of it just about every single working day and demonstrating them the individuals on the beach, the water clarity, and we even would get in the h2o,” Mooney stated.

He’s urging people to hold a close eye on the conditions and do research prior to leaping to conclusions.

“That was a major offer — persons reacting nowadays to anything that may possibly or may possibly not happen 8 or 10 months down the street,” said Mooney.

The seashores on Anna Maria Island ended up packed Friday afternoon as were being the corporations.

“We are hopeful, primarily with COVID in the final 12 months and this full thing, we just hope to hold it this way,” explained local restaurant operator Clark Freeman.

For the most recent red tide updates stop by FWC’s web page.