How will tourism be affected?

Hotel and restaurant owners along South Florida’s coastline are holding their breath — not from fear of breathing in some red tide toxins but over concern about what could happen if the east coast outbreak worsens.

Tourism officials have said South Florida businesses benefited this summer from visitors who switched their travel plans from Southwest to Southeast Florida because of the severe red tide conditions and large fish kills in waters along the Gulf Coast. They’re hoping the algaerelated toxin will have a short life and minimal life span in the Atlantic.

Palm Beach County hotel owners along the coast have already had to deal with customers suffering from allergy-like symptoms resulting from exposure to the red tide toxin, which first was noticed Saturday. Many beaches have been closed since

then.

“They have some disappointed visitors who obviously cannot swim in the water,” said Glenn Jergensen, executive director of the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council. “We’re fielding calls, [answering questions] from people who are making their plans for November and December.”

Jergensen said it’s too early to know if the current scare will have an impact on county tourism. To play it safe, tourism officials are making sure that potential visitors know all the attractions the area has to offer.

“There is a lot to do here besides just going to the beach,” Jergensen said.

Restaurant and hotel owners in Broward County met Wednesday morning at the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale for a fundraising event, but red tide did surface in the conversations, said Amanda Handley, spokeswoman for the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association.

“Our members are naturally concerned, and they’re paying attention very closely,” Handley said. Although red tide has not been confirmed in Broward, there have been reports of respiratory problems at beaches in Deerfield Beach, Hillsboro Beach and Pompano Beach.

Broward tourism officials are being proactive, sending out informational flyers to local businesses with talking points about red tide, including that it is “naturally occurring” and may have “temporary” health impacts.

“It’s very unusual for the east coast to have anything at all,” Broward tourism CEO Stacy Ritter said. County officials said there have been less than 10 red tide occurrences in South Florida since 1957.

Ritter said she has heard nothing so far about cancellations or people changing their plans to come to Broward County because of the possibility of red tide.

“I’m not concerned at this time. It’s a little early to be concerned,” Ritter said.