Though Hurricane Charley wreaked havoc on about one-third of the counties in Florida, the remaining two-thirds remained unaffected, and the Florida tourism authorities are eager for visitors to start coming back. The biggies, like Orlando's Disney, Universal and Sea World theme parks, were back in operation the day after the hurricane, and now some other Florida destinations are offering incentives to come visit.
Key West and The Florida Keys
Key West and the Florida Keys (800/FLA KEYS; www.fla-keys.com) were barely affected by the hurricane, which passed 68 miles west of Key West early Friday morning, August 13th. (The devout believe Key West has been immune to hurricanes ever since a grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes was erected behind the church of St. Mary Star of the Sea. The grotto used stones from a church farther up the Keys that was blasted in the deadly storm of 1935.) Visitors to The Keys had been asked to leave in the period leading up to the hurricane this year, but are now welcomed back heartily.
One of the hardest hit areas, around Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, is still digging out, so forget about visiting there for a while. (The people who run the Charlotte website haven't even had time to make note of the hurricane or damage, as of one week after the storm.)
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay (800/44 TAMPA; www.visittampabay.com) is back in the game with six different hotels and two attractions offering savings for visitors this fall. The deals range from a free night's stay to free attraction tickets, and include boutique inns and upscale properties, as well as downtown business hotels and limited service lodging places.
The hotels and attractions in this promotion include: Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay's Howl-O-Scream, Dinosaur World, Don Vicente de Ybor Historic Inn, Embassy Suites Tampa Airport/Westshore, Hilton Garden Inn Tampa North, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, Hyatt Regency Tampa and the Renaissance Hotel Tampa International
In addition to this, the Tampa Bay Visitors Bureau offers a bunch of Getaway Packages that include attraction visits and hotel stays. The prices include all taxes, are per person, based on two persons in a room, and can be booked online or by phone.
There's a Three-Way Getaway Adventure costing $99 per person that includes two nights of lodging and admissions to the Florida Aquarium, Lowry Park Zoo, and the Museum of Science and Industry.
A Real Adventure Getaway Package costing $89 per person includes a night in one of the participating Tampa hotels and admission to Busch Gardens.
The History Buff Getaway Package, for $84 per person, covers two nights of lodging and admissions to the Florida Holocaust Museum, the Henry B. Plant Museum, and the Ybor City State Museum.
A Culture Craver Getaway Package costs $82 per person and includes two nights of lodging and admissions to the Holocaust Museum, the Tampa Museum of Art, and the Ybor City Museum.
The Deluxe Getaway Package costing $219 per person covers four nights of lodging and admissions to Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium, the Lowry Park Zoo, and the Tampa Museum of Art.
Miami Beach
Stays at The Beach House Bal Harbour through September 30, 2004 are available from $89 a room. This 15% savings is available through Orbitz (www.orbitz.com). The Beach House Bal Harbour is on the water, and has a heated pool, spa, yoga, health club, restaurant and bar.
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