Tourists Support Island More than Locals

Those that oppose short-term rental have no idea the economic devastation they will cause on so many levels. The service industry will be annihilated. What I have found is people that live on Marco full-time are the ones that least frequent restaurants, shops etc. It is the tourist that comes for short term vacations that spend most of their mornings going out to breakfast and nights eating out, spending money on souvenir shops, mini golf, the movies, and adventure tours etc.

My husband and I took our family of six to Marco, Thanksgiving of 2020, for the first time, stayed in Airbnb, fell in love, and six months later invested in a house that was the neighborhood eyesore for over 30 years. The renovation took over a year and drained us of much of our retirement, but we were thinking long term and how one day, we’d love to be full time residents of Marco. Our dream is to retire there in the next three to five years and be an asset to the island and the community. Without rental income that will not be feasible. Why not let other families, like ours, enjoy paradise, even if it’s for just a week?

Thank you