Tourism officials on Florida’s Gulf Coast say people are worried one way may help the area heal Although some beaches are still closed to the public and debris piles up on the sides of the streets, it’s worth visiting as a tourist. recent hurricanes Helene and Milton.

St. The St. Petersburg-Clearwater area tourism promotion agency said in a news release that 80% of hotels and businesses in the area are open for business. cleanup and recovery continues.

“A lot of people ask, ‘How can I help?’ he asked. and the answer is: Come visit and support our local businesses when they need you most,” Visit St. Pete-Clearwater said in a Friday news release. “You can also participate in beach cleanups, participate in fundraisers and donate.”

Helen Made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Florida’s Big Bend area last month. Milton came ashore earlier this month as a category 3 hurricane on a barrier island in Sarasota County.

The state tourism promotion agency announced plans to spend $5.7 million to promote Florida as a tourism destination in the wake of the hurricanes.

The first phase of the campaign will focus on social media promotion of areas of Florida relatively unaffected by the storms, such as Pensacola, Panama City Beach and Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

In the second phase, $3 million will be spent promoting areas like Naples and Fort Myers that were affected by the storms but are already recovering.

The final phase, according to Visit Florida, is in St. It will offer direct marketing assistance to counties hardest hit by the storms in St. Petersburg and Sarasota counties and rural areas in the Panhandle.