CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As businesses slowly begin to get back on their feet, the local tourism industry, which was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, is also said to be making a comeback. Local experts say the tourist industry could be the first to fully recover.
The industry might not be in full swing just yet, but experts say it's getting there. When it comes to the hotel business in Corpus Christi, it is said to be doing better than the rest of the state.
"For the last 30 days, our occupancy in Corpus Christi has been about 57-percent, which is 20-25-percent higher than the rest of the state of Texas and the nation," CEO of Visit Corpus Christi Brett Oetting said.
Oetting is hopeful for a rebound. He said the occupancy rate is a clear sign that tourists are willing to drive down for a quick getaway and ultimately spend money.
"That bodes very well for Corpus Christi when you look at the 3-5 hour range, we have 10-20 million people within that drive range," Oetting added.
Visit Corpus Christi has been promoting the area as "Coastal Distancing," a way to let our neighbors know our restaurants and attractions are back open for business. Attractions like the Museum of Science and History.
"Being closed was difficult. We were fortunate to make it through it, and we are coming back with a vengeance," Carol Rehtmeyer with the Museum said.
Rehtmeyer said they opened on June 1 to a surprising crowd. They're now open seven days a week. Staff is preparing for a busy Father's Day weekend with three new exhibits to showcase.
"We've kept the momentum," Rehtmeyer said. "We're not at the capacity we were at before COVID. We are doing well and thrilled to see the public again."
One of the city's pillar attractions, the USS Lexington Museum, is reporting roughly 50-percent of sales from what they normally do this time of year.
"Slowly getting into the new normal, it's working out very well, and we are anticipating as time goes on and people are more comfortable that those numbers will increase," Steve Banta Executive Director of the Museum said.
As for the Texas State Aquarium, since reopening May 22, they have welcomed about 27,000 guests and those numbers are climbing. For the first nine days of June, TSA has seen about 71-percent of attendance from last year's numbers. This past weekend, they were at 84-percent compared with last year.
"If you are trying to figure out an economical way to get your vacation time in this summer, Corpus is the right place for you," Oetting said.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
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