‘The floodgates are open’: Jeep Beach event expected to bring thousands to Volusia County

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It’s day one of the annual Jeep Beach event in Daytona Beach and thousands of Jeeps have already arrived from around the world.

The event is expected to provide a major boost to the local economy, with an estimated 5,000 jeeps already in the Daytona Beach area.

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“COVID is over, the floodgates are open, and we have thousands of jeeps in town right at the beginning of the week,” Jeep Week Executive Chairwoman Charlene Greer said.

Greer says she expects those numbers to jump to about 20,000 Jeeps and more than 200,000 people by the time the event ends on May 1.

“Who wouldn’t want to come to Daytona Beach, the world’s most famous beach to take your doors off and tops down and cruise on the beach,” Greer said.

An economic impact study done last year showed Jeep Beach had a hotel occupancy rate of 70 percent, with a daily average room rate of 205, putting it behind only Bike Week and the Daytona 500.

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“We have 200 room nights over what we contracted,” Daytona Hard Rock Hotel Sales Manager Michelle Waddell said. “Everybody wants to be here.”

Waddell says guests are booking from all over the United States and Canada for the event as local hotels gear up for the start of their busy summer season.

“It is a significant increase year over year for us as a hotel, and Jeep Beach as an organization,” Waddell said. “They are going to have over 225 vendors for their main event out at the track, and more vendors means more people.”

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Since 2012, Jeep Beach has donated more than $2 million to local charities from the event’s fundraising efforts throughout the week.

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