While the Springhill Suites on Navarre Beach shut its doors Oct. 9 ahead of Hurricane Michael’s landfall to the east, hotels on the mainland saw an influx of visitors.
To assist with evacuations and recovery from Hurricane Michael, Airbnb announced Oct. 9 that it would be offering rental properties through the affected area at no cost.
In the past 10 years, three times as many tourist development dollars were spent in Milton than in Navarre for infrastructure improvements. In contrast, the beach alone accounts for more than half of the dollars generated.
In a lot of ways, Santa Rosa County is approaching small business the right way. That’s the opinion of Debbie Rogers-Guinn, the owner of Deb’s Coffee in Navarre.
The results are in, and Santa Rosa County would stand to gain a lot from a business incubator. But the costs could exceed the benefits, at least in the short term.
