BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Space Coast tourism is on quite a streak with people driving, flying and cruising into the area.
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February was the best month ever on record for tourist development tax collections. But officials say that record may already be bested again after March’s revenue is tallied up.
The Space Coast Office of Tourism has been aggressively marketing the area, but there are a lot of things at play, including the area beaches, cruising, an abundance of rocket launches and more people ready to travel again.
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“I tend to be an optimist, but I never anticipated the kind of rebound that we’ve had post-COVID,” said Peter Cranis, executive director for the Space Coast Office of Tourism.
February doesn’t tend to be a peak month for tourist development tax revenue on the Space Coast. But this year, nearly $2.3 million was collected in February.
It’s the best month in the tourism office’s history. Adding to that, they’ve had 11 straight months of record tax collections.
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Cranis said rocket launches and crewed missions like Axiom-1 area also drawing thousands of visitors to Brevard County.
Rachel Comerford and her family came from Ireland to take a cruise. They chose Port Canaveral because of its proximity to other attractions.
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“It’s convenient to have a few different opportunities for enjoyment and recreation together,” she said.
On May 1, the office of tourism will kick off its $2.1 million summer marketing campaign around the southeast and beyond.
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