Hospitality Tourism Brevard County Tourism D. Grulich 12/8/98 Brevard County is a nice place to visit for the sun, surf, and sand. In addition to the beautiful beaches of Brevard there are other attractions tourists to the area frequent. Such attractions consist of the Kennedy Space Center, Ron Johns Surf Shop, the Astronaut Hall of Fame, the Ace of Hearts Ranch, the Sebastian Inlet and Reserve, the famous Wednesday night Jamaican-Me-Crazy night at the Holiday Inn Melbourne Oceanfront, Cape Canaveral Cruise lines, Cocoa Expo Sports Center, the Cocoa Beach Pier, the Baseball stadium in Viera, and the Brevard Zoo. These places, besides the beach, are Brevard’s most attended area attractions. Most of our tourists who come to this area to see these attractions come from the Central Florida cities of Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Ft.
Lauderdale. Brevard is a family-oriented county. Almost all of our attractions are made for families to enjoy and as well as vacationing couples. The families that come here are mainly on vacation or seeing family/friends.
Some demographics about them are that they probably drove to the area from their home in state or from the Orlando Airport, they will probably stay for about one week, booked accommodations themselves, and are middle class due to their income. There are many things in Brevard that visiting families can do, it all depends on their taste and duration of stay. Vacationing couples come to this are for cruises, a weekend getaway, or to see family and friends. Some demographics about these tourists almost the same as the families. They come from the Florida area mainly, have an average income (in most cases both partners are working and have more money to spend due to a double income), the ages for couples vary in range from 18-65 because it doesn’t matter how old or young you have to be in a couple when visiting Brevard.
The couples that decide to go on a cruise may stay in Brevard to see the sights. But the percentage is less because they just spent all that money on the cruise. The couples that like to stay for a while are snowbirds (people who come down from up north to get away from the cold). These particular tourists are more of the older generations 55 – 65+, retired, and have a lot of money to spend. They like the beach and are here to get a tan so when they go back up north they have something to show all of their friends who couldn’t get away. Our competitor as a county would be Orange County, Orlando specifically.
Orlando has Disney and who can truly compete with Disney. They have helped our County by putting a resort in our south beaches area, and a cruise ship out of the Port. That draws Central Florida tourists’ eyes toward the Brevard area. Orlando does take business away from Brevard. One area is airfare. It costs more to fly into the Melbourne International Airport.
Plus our airport only has two airlines flying in and out, so that limits our incoming traffic as well. So not only does Orlando hinder they help as well. Disney is helping steer eyes toward our county but we can use the city of Orlando and its services and lack there of, to our advantage as well. A lot of people who come to Florida seek the sun and a tan.
In Orlando it is true they can receive that, but they can’t get real sandy beaches, ocean breezes, and the ocean itself with waves so people can surf. For some people sitting by the pool is soaking up the rays makes them content. But if I was paying all that money to come to Florida I would want actual sand to make a castle with, and water that if I opened my mouth I wouldn’t be afraid of what someone may have done in the water. All of Orlando’s bodies of water are lakes, which don’t run into the ocean, therefor they aren’t being cleaned because they are not moving. In Brevard we have it all the sun, sand, and real beaches. The beach is what we can market to the out of state visitors.
But what makes the Brevard area and its beaches better than our other competitors beaches Ft. Lauderdale and Daytona Beach. Our area has less traffic on the roads and on the beach, they are kept in great shape because we don’t allow cars to drive on them, and we are noted for Ron John’s and the Cocoa Beach Pier. I have not heard of any attractions that either locations are noted for. Ft.
Lauderdale does have more clubs in the city but not on the beach. On the beach in Melbourne we have Jamaican -Me-Crazy which people from those cities come to see. These are the areas and events we can market in comparison to other well known cities. In the Orlando area we can use different avenues for promotions. We can use the Conventions and Visitors Bureaus of Orlando, the information guides in the Orlando International Airport, the Internet, billboards not just for Ron John’s but for the real sandy beaches and ocean breezes, be in the Florida Trend Magazine frequently with coupons for in area restaurants, and events to come, and keep a running ad and frequent stories about Brevard’s events in the Orlando Sentinel. Benefits to visiting Brevard’s coast are the real beaches, ocean breezes, more stars to see than in the heavily populated areas, the sea turtles in the summer, and the warmth of the sun in the winter.
Our area offers more educational things to do in a low traffic yet high, friendly customer service environment. The prices for the attractions are way more reasonable than the surrounding areas. I think Brevard is a better deal for the families, and/or couples that want to see sights, and have a relaxing yet fun filled vacation on the real beach. History.
