THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 8, 1996 TAG: 9607080043
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM SHEAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 99 lines
Open space was scarce along much of the city's resort strip Sunday as tourists returned with their towels, coolers, boogie boards and cameras.
For many hotel owners and merchants along the Oceanfront, the resurgence in tourism for the July 4th weekend was especially welcome.
This season got off to a slow start because of a cold, rainy Memorial Day weekend and a longer school year in some Northeastern cities.
``We were basically shut down on Memorial Day because of the weather. That really hurt us,'' said David Parker of Rudee Inlet Jet Ski.
But sunny weather this past holiday weekend brought people flocking to rent Jet Skis, said Parker, who estimated that vacationers account for 90 percent of the facility's business.
At the Golden Sands Motel on Atlantic Avenue, night manager Harry Savvides said the 56-unit motel had a couple of vacancies Saturday because of cancellations.
Still, ``It's been a great weekend for us,'' and reservations for the rest of the season appear strong, Savvides said.
The city of Virginia Beach's visitor information center said the number of inquiries handled over the July 4th weekend surpassed those from last year. On Friday and again on Saturday, more than a thousand people came in seeking help with lodging, directions and other matters, said Sue Wehner, an assistant analyst at the center.
``When I checked earlier in the week, most of the area motels were full, and others were at 90 to 95 percent,'' she said. In addition, the six campgrounds in Virginia Beach reported being full, she said.
Many of the visitors, including Larry Carter, came from Virginia Beach's traditional tourist pipelines: Northeastern states like Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
Carter, a retiree from Ravenswood, W.Va., who came with two grandchildren, said he and his family have been to Virginia Beach at least a half-dozen times.
``We didn't come down here for awhile'' because he and others in his family were caught in the midst of the rioting during Greekfest along Atlantic Avenue in 1989.
After two years of vacationing at beaches in other states, he and his family eventually returned to Virginia Beach because ``we enjoy ourselves here,'' Carter said.
John Hurst came to Virginia Beach because he and his fiancee were visiting her nephew in Norfolk.
``You couldn't have asked for better weather,'' said Hurst, a college recruiter from Indianapolis. ``And the beach is a lot cleaner than some of the beaches to the south.''
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, vacationers stood four deep at the cash registers in some Atlantic Avenue stores. They were loaded down with T-shirts, mugs, beach umbrellas and rafts. But the tourist dollars spilled beyond Atlantic Avenue.
Sarah Smith, co-owner of the Kasbah jewelry, art and apparel store on Pacific Avenue, said weekend sales were the strongest they've been so far this year.
``This was the weekend,'' she said.
``I've seen more impulse buying this year,'' Smith said. ``Last year, there were more people saying, `I'll look around.' ''
However, a few merchants said some tourists appeared to be economizing.
``The bargain shopping has been greater this year,'' said the proprietor of one Atlantic Avenue store. ``People are buying mostly souvenir items, things to take back home and give to other people.''
Adrian Cortez, an Old Dominion University student who rents beach umbrellas and chairs at 21st Street, said he asks vacationers why they come to Virginia Beach.
``They say they don't want to spend too much money. They've heard of Virginia Beach, and they say the prices here are pretty good,'' Cortez said.
Still, demand for the blue-and-yellow chairs and umbrellas has been slower this year.
``This year, it's a younger crowd that's here to meet people,'' he said. ``They don't go into the water that much.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
BILL TIERNAN
The Virginian-Pilot
If any chill remained from Memorial Day, businesses and tourists
burned it off on the Fourth of July weekend. Corey J. Humphrise,
left, and his brother, Lamont, came from Hopewell, Va., for the day
Sunday and were packed in by their girlfriends.
The number of tourist inquiries handled on Thursday, Friday and
Saturday at the visitor information center surpassed those from last
year. On Friday and on Saturday, more than 1,000 people came in.
BILL TIERNAN
Virginian-Pilot photos
It wasn't quite standing-room-only Sunday afternoon near the
Virginia Beach Fishing Pier, but if you wanted room to spread out,
you had to look.
Kelly West makes a picture of Tiffany Highland and her boyfriend,
Lamont Humphrise, who came Sunday from Hopewell. West, of Telescope
Pictures - which produces small pictures in a viewer that's held up
to the light - said holiday business was very good.
KEYWORDS: TOURISM by CNB