Anna Maria residents say they are fed up with discourteous tourists.
“The day-trippers and tourists of today, in general, are probably the rudest, most discourteous, selfish people I’ve ever seen,” resident Ruth Cawein told city commissioners May 27.
Cawein moved to Anna Maria from New York City 30 years ago and her parents had first lived on the island for 20 years. She told commissioners “tourism on Anna Maria Island has absolutely gotten out of control.”
Michelle Santagata, whose family has lived on the island since the 1950s, echoed Cawein in her comments to commissioners.
She said large groups of renters disregard rules, including damaging the beach habitat for wildlife, playing in dunes and leaving holes in the sand.
When she tells people the dunes are not playscapes, many tourists respond rudely and continue to violate the regulations, Santagata said.
Also, both women pointed to increased problems related to golf carts.
“I’m very, very frustrated with golf carts going 10-18 miles an hour under the speed limit from here to Bay Boulevard … riding along sightseeing,” with total disregard for the traffic that backs up behind them, Cawein said.
Grievances like Cawein’s and Santagata’s were the catalyst for a Love It Like A Local marketing campaign that kicked off April 20 by the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Elliott Falcione said.
Falcione, BACVB executive director, and Kelly Clark, BACVB marketing director, attended the meeting at the invitation of Mayor Dan Murphy, who wanted them to share details of the campaign.
Love It Like A Local uses positive reinforcement and offers prizes to people who complete an online 10-question quiz identifying them as an expert on best practices when visiting the area.
To sweeten the deal, Clark said a grand prize — a BACVB-sponsored four-day trip for four at a rental house — is being offered.
Clark described plans to draw attention to the campaign utilizing social media “influencers.”
While Santagata said the campaign sounds great, she took issue with the use of influencers, saying social media is part of the problem behind tourists’ uncouth behavior.
Commissioners complimented the campaign and expressed hope it would address local concerns.
Totally agree, we lost this peaceful island to rental greed both owners and the city.
Renters throwing up and urinating next to our property. The Lake Lavista HOA gives the same rights to renters as if they own the properties.
Shame where this island has gone since buying our home in 2006/07
day-trippers and tourists are how this island stays solvent. If you do not like them why do you spend so much money on advertising to attract them here?