DATE: Thursday, June 12, 1997               TAG: 9706120450

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   86 lines

BEACH TOURIST INDUSTRY HURT BY COOL SPRING

The marquee outside the Windjammer Motel on Atlantic Avenue said it all: Special Winter Rates.

When unseasonably cool temperatures settled in around Memorial Day, the Windjammer offered deep discounts on Oceanfront rooms.

``We are suffering the wrath of the weather,'' said Richard P. Anoia, operator of the Windjammer Motel and chairman of the Resort Leadership Council. For the first eight days of June, the Windjammer's occupancy was down 70 percent.

But with temperatures back to normal this week, Anoia retired his caustic message.

``The weather has become such a sore point around here,'' Anoia said.

And for good reason. Good weather brings tourists. And tourists bring big bucks to the Beach. Close to $500 million a year.

Cool, windy conditions do not motivate people to come to the beach and try on bathing suits, eat ice cream, rent Rollerblades or buy sunscreen and T-shirts. Even if the calendar does say June.

``We've lost quite a bit of money,'' said Warren Smith, manager of Cherie's Bicycle and Blade Rentals. Business at Cherie's six locations was off by 90 percent last week, he said.

Smith said he figures on about 15 days of bad weather in the summer season. ``We've already written off half of that and we're just getting started,'' he said.

High winds forced Adventure Parasail to suspend operations for a week.

``This is the worst start to a season that we've ever had,'' said Cathie Baisley, who added that Adventure Parasail has been in business nine years. ``In all the years we've done parasailing, we've never been down this long.''

At Uncle Harry's Ice Cream sales are down 20 percent. ``We also sell coffee and cappuccino beverages,'' said owner Harry E. Tully. ``Thank goodness for that.''

Forbes Candies outlets sold a lot of rain ponchos last week, said president William Lawton, but not much of anything else.

Dawson Sterling of the Princess Anne Inn was downright pessimistic.

``This weather's putting the hurting on a lot of people,'' he said. ``There will probably be a few people going out of business at the end of the summer.''

Some other businesses weren't impacted as greatly.

Verne Burlage of Burlage Management noted that June occupancies are up for three hotels that he manages while the numbers at two others are down.

Sales at Memory Lane Old Time Photos were up somewhat at one resort strip location and down slightly at a second. ``The weather helps us,'' said manager Darren Berger. ``There's nothing to do so they come in here.''

Another retailer that benefited from the inclement weather was Lynnhaven Mall. Mall manager John Westbrook said there has been a noticeable increase in traffic during recent cool snaps, especially on weekends.

``The springtime business is very weather sensitive,'' said James H. Capps, owner of the Breakers Resort Inn and president of the Virginia Beach Hotel and Motel Association.

``A lot of it is close-in markets within a couple hours' drive like Richmond,'' Capps said. ``They can decide at the last minute, if the weather doesn't look good, to wait and go another week.''

While merchants are rejoicing in this week's warm sunshine, the previous two weeks of poor weather will perhaps impact their bottom line. Many say it's money they're unlikely to recoup.

``Once you're into June, every day counts,'' said Robert H. Vakos, owner of the Colonial Inn. ``If you continually have poor weather and it affects occupancy and revenue, it's kind of hard to make that up.''

But it balances out over the years, Vakos said. Each season, there are periods of inclement weather.

Last year, Memorial Day was a washout out with rainy weather. June got off to a slow start because schools in the Northeast were released later to make up for snow days. Still, the summer broke records for attendance and revenue.

``It's just not good to start out like this because you feel like you're playing catch-up the rest of the summer,'' Vakos said.

To help soften the blow, some hotel owners will raise room prices.

``You eke out a little bit here and little bit there,'' Anoia said. ``The opportunity to recover is minimal, but the opportunities are there.''

Until the recent weather snafu, many business owners reported a strong spring. And they are optimistic about the rest of the summer season as advance reservations are brisk.

``When the weather's good, you enjoy it,'' Capps said. ``When it's bad, you realize the weather will change and the people will be back.'' ILLUSTRATION: UNSEASONABLY COOL

SOURCE: The National Weather Service

GRAPHIC

[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.] KEYWORDS: TOURISM WEATHER

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