WORLD: At the end of March 2023, half a year after Hurricane Ian, direct flights from Frankfurt/Main to Fort Myers will start again. But how much is the region currently geared towards holidaymakers?
Tamara Pigott: Ian caused most of the destruction along the coast. Especially in Fort Myers Beach and on the island of Sanibel, guests still have to expect restrictions for a while. A beach holiday there this spring will not be the same as in previous years, that much is certain.
WORLD: What does that mean specifically?
Pigott: The closer visitors get to the coast, the more it becomes apparent that there was chaos here six months ago. Let’s take Fort Myers Beach. Where there were buildings, for example in the busy “Times Square” with its boutiques, bars and the beach promenade, there are now gaps. At speeds of up to 150 miles per hour (241 km/h), Ian leveled some of the buildings that stood directly on the Gulf of Mexico, while damaging only parts of others.
So there is a certain probability that some vacationers will no longer find their favorite hotel – especially since buildings whose renovation costs are 50 percent higher than the current value of the house may not be rebuilt. Nevertheless, 70 percent of our hotel rooms in the entire region are already available again, i.e. almost 10,000 rooms.
WORLD: Now many travelers appreciate Florida in particular because of the vacation by the sea. On your website visitfortmyers.com you warn bathers and beach walkers about broken glass and small nails.
Pigott: That’s right. Let me put it this way: the most important thing for us is that vacationers come. Entire sectors of the economy – from gastronomy and retail to tourist attractions – live from the visit of international guests; 40 percent of the money spent here comes from abroad. We depend on them if we want to exist in the long run. This will not happen without tourists.
At the same time, the safety of vacationers is the top priority, nobody should cut their foot on a piece of broken glass. In this respect, we rely on honesty and openly communicate the situation, which is still tense in parts. It’s no good for someone to come here and find a completely different, previously glossed-over situation.
WORLD: That means: if you want to go on a beach vacation, it’s better not to fly to Fort Myers at the moment?
Pigott: No, we are happy about every visitor, especially since one beach after the next is opening up again in these weeks. I don’t live on the coast myself and I’m only there once or twice a week. Yet every time I make it to one of the beaches, I am amazed at the progress.
WORLD: So while the beaches are recovering quickly, especially since volunteers also help with clean-up campaigns, houses unfortunately do not stand overnight.
Pigott: In fact, owners sometimes wait months for feedback from their insurance company as to whether and how things will continue. Also, of course, we have to follow building codes. They no longer envisage private and commercial space on the ground floor, but on a higher floor so that damage from future hurricanes is limited.
An example: the restaurants in the region. Many have to buy new equipment that has been damaged by salt water, from the dishwasher to the individual spoon. And now four, five, six restaurants are suddenly ordering all of these products, which are already harder to come by after the pandemic and the delivery difficulties associated with it. That takes time. But if everything is up and running again in a few years, this area will be one of the most modern in the USA, if not in the world.
-> A video from October 4 gives an insight into the destruction:
After Hurricane Ian has passed, the full extent of the damage in the US state of Florida becomes clear. The offshore islands in particular were hit hard. Many roads are either closed due to flooding or completely destroyed.
Source: WELT/Jana Wochnik
WORLD: That’s exactly what many are afraid of – that with all the new buildings, the charm of old Florida will disappear.
Pigott: We know about the concerns, and we definitely feel the pressure to keep that charm. No building may be higher than the tallest palm tree on Sanibel Island. The building and general regulations are particularly strict, also in Fort Myers Beach. We don’t like big hotels that forever block the view of the sea. In our region, things are welcome to be smaller and cozier.
At the same time, changes are inevitable. We have to rebuild differently, namely better. Sustainability not only means protecting the climate, but also protecting our buildings from the environment, for example from hurricanes. At the end of the day, anyway, I believe that people make up the atmosphere of a place, not buildings.
WORLD: You mean that the crisis also had something good despite all the misery?
Pigott: Absolutely. It was fantastic to see how the community sticks together here. Two examples: The storm destroyed the Sanibal Causeway, i.e. the road to Sanibel across the Gulf of Mexico, in five places. I was absolutely certain it would be months before we got back to the island. And what happened? After 15 days and the non-stop toil of many helpers, it could be used again.
And the news that our famous lighthouse on Sanibel returned to service five months after Ian made headlines across the country. That’s what many people hear about Fort Myers who didn’t know the city before and now want to come here. We are working hard to rebuild this region.
WORLD: Germans in particular should like to hear that, as they are among your most important guests.
Pigott: Yes, mainly because they come in the summer, which is our traditional “slow season”, i.e. in the months when things tend to be quieter. Many Germans also own a vacation home in Fort Myers. Almost 2,000 of the 23,000 properties owned by international vacationers belong to Germans, which is a lot – even compared to larger cities such as Miami, Tampa or Orlando.
WORLD: And what can you currently experience again?
Pigott: Holidays, keyword beach, may be different than before. Nonetheless, visitors play golf, kayak or boat, and fish. The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum on Sanibel is also welcoming visitors after the hurricane damaged only the roof.
The Edison Fort Winter Estate, the winter residence of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, can also be explored. Even in hard-hit Fort Myers Beach, new restaurants, galleries, and shops reopen every week. The number remains manageable so far, but it will.
WORLD: Nature also needs time to recover.
Pigott: On April 4, the Darling National Wildlife Refuge will open with five million visitors a year, which we see as a milestone on the way back to everyday life. Apart from the incident with Ian, Mother Nature has been kind to this region. The environment is showing so much more resilience than we think, and so are the people here. A wide variety of bird species, manatees and dolphins can also be observed again.
WORLD: But not in dolphin shows?
Pigott: No, there aren’t any shows like that in the region; only several boat trips where visitors can see dolphins, but also manatees, birds and other wildlife in their natural environment – if they show up.
WORLD: How many visitors do you expect this year?
Pigott: We have not made an estimate for the number of visitors for 2023, but in 2022 there were 4.4 million holidaymakers. We assume that the number of visitors will decrease in comparison.
Information about the Fort Myers area, including which beaches are open again, can be found on the official website of the tourism authority: visitfortmyers.com.
Tamara Pigott has worked for the Fort Myers Lee County Convention Bureau since 2000; for 13 years she has been in charge of the tourist office as executive director. The American attended college at Florida State University in Tallahassee and earned a Bachelor of Science in economics and a Master of Science in applied politics. Pigott has lived in Fort Myers since 1990.
