Tourism officials in Daytona Beach are aiming to recreate the city as a high-end destination

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Tourism officials in Daytona Beach are aiming to move away from its rowdy “spring break” destination and recreate the city into a more high-end destination. However, they know that it’s going to take more than just advertisement dollars to initiate this change.

“The brand of any destination, of any business, is what people say about you,” said Lori Campbell Baker, the executive director of the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Baker said that cleaning up the brand is their top priority.

“We’re going to be even more communicative with the government leaders and city and municipal staffs about what we’re hearing from our visitors,” she said.

In a recent meeting, the bureau and other tourism officials in the area discussed about moving away from the “spring break” reputation, and get government leaders clean up the main beachside gateways like International Speedway Boulevard, and to get more developers to fix up some of the ramshackle buildings and empty spaces.

The bureau, along with a county ad board, has hired a consultant for creating a plan of action.

“We just got off eight record months of income with bed tax revenue,” Campbell Baker said.

“We need bigger, better entertainment. We need finer boutique shops,” said Bob Davis, president of the Lodging and Hospitality Association of Volusia County.

Davis has been urging for this change for long. He said that they need more amenities for facilitating both visitors and residents.

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