DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Hotels in Volusia County are cleaning up and getting ready for Biketoberfest 2016 in Daytona Beach.
Some hotels were damaged in the storm, but many are back open or expect to be in a few days. Some hotels only had power restored just a few days ago.
Only 130 of the 200 hotels are good to house guests this weekend.
However, A1A will be closed due to the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew.
Drivers will be detoured to South Central Avenue throughout the event.
Biketoberfest kicks off on Thursday.
The four-day event brings about 100,000 visitors to Daytona Beach every year.
Lori Campbell Baker is the executive director of the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau she does expect the numbers to be lower this year because of Hurricane Matthew and the damage it caused along the coast.
Some are questioning if the event should still happen, but organizers told Channel 9's Michael Springer the event brings in too much money to the city and businesses to cancel.
“It's not that easy. It either happens or it doesn't. The economic impact that it was created to share with the community is something that I think a lot of our businesses are counting on,” Campbell Baker said.
The economic impact is around $40 million, Campbell Baker said.
“We are an event town and it's one of the biggest events of our year that drives our sales,” said Lauren Minick, marketing manager of Indian Motorcycle Daytona Beach.
Workers at the Cove Motel are getting ready to handle one of its biggest money-making weeks of the year.
“We are excited about it. We are pretty much booked,” said Stacy Piland.
However some other hotels are still housing hurricane victims. Officials said they reached out to hotels in Southeast and West Volusia hotels to arrange for bikers to stay in those rooms.
Cox Media Group
