Flood waters have receded. But while Hurricane Georges was no Opal, neither was it merely an overnight nuisance. Hundreds of workers have been toiling, sometimes around the clock, to quickly put less-damaged hotels back in service. Carpet-cleaning services, for example, have been working in double shifts to dry carpets. Promoters began putting out faxes early this week notifying target markets that the area is open for business, with the exception of a handful of key hotels.
Visitors still come Losses in tourism dollars have yet to be calculated.
As doors open, tourists are showing up. Thanks to Georges, they were able to pick from a bumper crop of shells strewn across the sand. A film crew from the state's tourism agency, Visit Florida, was in town this week, filming Pensacola's director of tourism Sheilah Bowman as she talked about the condition of the area. Visit Florida filmed segments at several sites around the state to counter the misconception that Hurricane Georges had devastated the Gulf Coast. Shoulder season Fall is not a busy tourism season here or statewide, but is still an important one.