CalallenWildcat
06-05-2007, 09:34 AM
Look at the photos...just disgusting. This is why I never go to the beach.
http://www.kristv.com/global/story.asp?s=6611462
CVB says seaweed hurting Coastal Bend's image
June 5, 2007 08:23 AM CDT
MUSTANG ISLAND - A blanket of brown continues to plague area beaches with more seaweed washing in every day. As a result, The Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau said it may change the way it promotes the area.
An example of that could be promoting some of the "bay beaches" like North Beach and McGee Beach, instead of the gulf beaches where the seaweed is especially bad.
The gulf beaches is the biggest attraction in the Coastal Bend helping to draw some 6.7 million visitors to the area every year - particularly in the summer. But this summer, the seaweed has made for a bit messier experience.
On what should be a busy summer day at the beach the crowd on Padre Island is a little thin. Those that made the trip, do their best to avoid the patches of brown.
"I think it's horrible. I don't like the idea of having to pay for a beach pass to come out here, and we end up with this all over the place. It just looks terrible," said Aaron Espinoza from Leander, TX.
"It's not exactly what I expected. I expected the white sand dunes and everything that you dream that the coastline looks like with the Gulf of Mexico, so I was a little shocked when I first saw it," said Randy Helms from Converse, TX.
A thought shared by many who came to see Coastal Bend's prized possession.
Convention and Visitors bureau CEO Keith Arnold doesn't believe the seaweed has effected tourism so far. He's more worried about the stories travelers will tell when they return home.
"Our beaches are the primary reason that people come here," Arnold said. "They go back to San Antonio, Austin or Houston and talk about the conditions. What's it going to do to the rest of the summer. That's our big concern right now."
What helps the summer season of 2007 is that for the first time school won't start until after Labor Day, giving families several extra weeks of summer, and giving cities like Corpus Christi a chance to delay certain ad campaigns. Hopefully the seaweed will subside later in the summer.
"The print media is already out there. What we've got is some radio spots that are going to come up in the months of late June and July. We've kind of put those on hold, in case we need to twist the message a little more, to highlight things other than the beaches, if that becomes a challenge to us."
This family was told by their hotel to avoid the gulf beaches because of the seaweed, and go to McGee beach where not a branch of it could be found. They were not the only ones who made such a decision and those who did choose the island said they'll take a closer look next time before making the trip.
"We'll definitely check the web site or call the city before we come out again, because if this is like this next time, we'll go somewhere else," Espinoza said.
Early last week, city leaders asked the Army Corps of Engineers for special permission to clear out more of the seaweed than normal, but on Friday the Corps denied the request.
Part of the reason for those requests is the C-Sculptures festival is this weekend, an event that attracts thousands to the beach and frankly the city needs a pretty good turnout.
Online Reporter: Bart Bedsole
http://kris.images.worldnow.com/images/6611462_BG2.jpg http://kris.images.worldnow.com/images/6611462_BG3.jpg
http://www.kristv.com/global/story.asp?s=6611462
CVB says seaweed hurting Coastal Bend's image
June 5, 2007 08:23 AM CDT
MUSTANG ISLAND - A blanket of brown continues to plague area beaches with more seaweed washing in every day. As a result, The Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau said it may change the way it promotes the area.
An example of that could be promoting some of the "bay beaches" like North Beach and McGee Beach, instead of the gulf beaches where the seaweed is especially bad.
The gulf beaches is the biggest attraction in the Coastal Bend helping to draw some 6.7 million visitors to the area every year - particularly in the summer. But this summer, the seaweed has made for a bit messier experience.
On what should be a busy summer day at the beach the crowd on Padre Island is a little thin. Those that made the trip, do their best to avoid the patches of brown.
"I think it's horrible. I don't like the idea of having to pay for a beach pass to come out here, and we end up with this all over the place. It just looks terrible," said Aaron Espinoza from Leander, TX.
"It's not exactly what I expected. I expected the white sand dunes and everything that you dream that the coastline looks like with the Gulf of Mexico, so I was a little shocked when I first saw it," said Randy Helms from Converse, TX.
A thought shared by many who came to see Coastal Bend's prized possession.
Convention and Visitors bureau CEO Keith Arnold doesn't believe the seaweed has effected tourism so far. He's more worried about the stories travelers will tell when they return home.
"Our beaches are the primary reason that people come here," Arnold said. "They go back to San Antonio, Austin or Houston and talk about the conditions. What's it going to do to the rest of the summer. That's our big concern right now."
What helps the summer season of 2007 is that for the first time school won't start until after Labor Day, giving families several extra weeks of summer, and giving cities like Corpus Christi a chance to delay certain ad campaigns. Hopefully the seaweed will subside later in the summer.
"The print media is already out there. What we've got is some radio spots that are going to come up in the months of late June and July. We've kind of put those on hold, in case we need to twist the message a little more, to highlight things other than the beaches, if that becomes a challenge to us."
This family was told by their hotel to avoid the gulf beaches because of the seaweed, and go to McGee beach where not a branch of it could be found. They were not the only ones who made such a decision and those who did choose the island said they'll take a closer look next time before making the trip.
"We'll definitely check the web site or call the city before we come out again, because if this is like this next time, we'll go somewhere else," Espinoza said.
Early last week, city leaders asked the Army Corps of Engineers for special permission to clear out more of the seaweed than normal, but on Friday the Corps denied the request.
Part of the reason for those requests is the C-Sculptures festival is this weekend, an event that attracts thousands to the beach and frankly the city needs a pretty good turnout.
Online Reporter: Bart Bedsole
http://kris.images.worldnow.com/images/6611462_BG2.jpg http://kris.images.worldnow.com/images/6611462_BG3.jpg