TOURISM TALK: Space Coast Tourism Soars on the Wings of the Cocoa Beach Air Show

By  //  April 23, 2021

TOURIST FLOCK TO BEACHSIDE HOTELS

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds kicked off their 2021 show season and debuted a new performance routine during the Cocoa Beach Air Show, the first major redesign in over 38 years. Tens of thousands of spectators lined the Space Coast beaches on Saturday from Patrick Space Force Base to Port Canaveral to catch a glimpse of the Cocoa Beach Air Show.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were not the only thing soaring sky high last weekend Brevard’s tourism economy saw one of its best weekends since the start of the COVID pandemic.

Tens of thousands of spectators lined the Space Coast beaches on Saturday from Patrick Space Force Base to Port Canaveral to catch a glimpse of the Cocoa Beach Air Show, presented by KelTec.

According to the air show promoter, hotel occupancy in the Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral area on Saturday night reached 87.6 percent, within a few percentage points of the best prime season occupancy of 90 percent in mid-March.

“The bottom typically drops out on hotel occupancy two weeks after Easter,” said Peter Cranis, Executive Director of the Space Coast Office of Tourism.

“As expected, occupancy fell into the high 50s/low 60s early in the week leading up to the air show, then skyrocketed back on Friday night. It clearly demonstrated the economic impact generated by the event.”

Restaurants, amusements and other area businesses saw an influx of people as destination visitors from around the state and the nation flocked to the Space Coast for the weekend.

“Our hotel was sold out since early March,” said Debra Green, General Manager of the Hilton Cocoa Beach, headquarters hotel for the event. “Saturday was also our best day for food and beverage sales in over 14 months.”

AIR SHOW FANS GOT MORE THAN THEY EXPECTED at the recent Cocoa Beach Air Show when a Valiant Air Command World War II-era TBM Avenger was forced to ditch in the surf off Patrick Space Force Base due to engine failure while performing during the “Warbird Parade” portion of the air show. (Amber Ditmer images)
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Even hotels to the north in Cape Canaveral did well due to the compression created by the influx of spectators for the air show.

“It’s wonderful to have the Cocoa Beach Air Show back in town,” said Tom Hermansen of Ocean Partners Hospitality, which owns hotels in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral.

“Such a great event for residents and the tourism community. This event certainly helped fill the hotels last weekend. Nearly every hotel in town was sold out.”

The Thunderbirds kicked off their 2021 show season and debuted a new performance routine, the first major redesign in over 38 years.

Air Force airpower was on full display with five different aircraft performing including the F-22 Raptor, A-10 Warthog, C-17 Globemaster III, and two heavy bombers – the B-1 and B-52.

“We were able to bring a world-class air show to the community because of the support of the Space Coast Office of Tourism and the 10 area hotels that provided rooms to host such an all-star performer lineup,” said Bryan Lilley, Chairman of the National Air, Sea and Space Foundation, organizer of the show.

“We’re very happy the Cocoa Beach Air Show was such a success for the tourism industry that has been so badly impacted in the past year.”

The Cocoa Beach Air Show kicked off this year’s AirDotShow Live Tour that will visit six destinations in 2021 including Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Ocean City, Maryland, New York, and Orlando.

MUST-SEE: On-Board with USAF Thunderbirds on Saturday at the Cocoa Beach Air Show. “We couldn’t have asked for a better location or crowd for our first of many air shows this year,” said USAF Thunderbirds spokesperson. “Cocoa Beach looks incredible from the pilots’ perspective.”

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