If we are to make money in these bad economic times everyone needs to help out.
Below ... a picture and article from the Miami Herald ...
BY MICAELA HOOD MHOOD@MIAMIHERALD.COM
In a sluggish economy, with hotels reporting declining occupancy numbers, leaders in Sunny Isles Beach are creating new ways to impress tourists.
Last month, the city opened its first visitor's center.
Staff members at the center, located on the first floor of the city's government center at 18070 Collins Ave., provide answers to visitors' questions about where to eat, shop and party.
''We provide them with a free map of the city and brochures on many attractions around Miami,'' said Ibis Romero, executive director of Sunny Isles Beach Resort Association.
The city boasts 10 hotels and 20 or more restaurants, and the staff at the visitor center can help guests pick out something that suits their taste.
''It's a small visitor center with only three staff members, but it's intimate and the people that come in are provided with a nice service,'' Romero said.
For tourists looking to take a bit of Sunny Isles Beach back home, there are T-shirts, travel clocks, beach towels, and posters available for sale. The souvenirs range from a mere quarter to $20.
For those rainy summer days, the center also sells a Sunny Isles Beach umbrella.
The umbrella came in handy one soggy afternoon when Matt Goldberg and his girlfriend Kate Schwartz dropped by the visitor's center to pick up a map. The couple, who were visiting from New Jersey, said they were looking to buy a condo in the area.
''It's nice that the city has a place like this,'' Goldberg, 34, said.
Schwartz, 27, agreed.
''We've never been to this part of Florida before, so we didn't know much,'' she said.
``At least now I know where the mall is and I can do some summer shopping.''
In partnership with the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the visitor center also sells The Go Miami Card -- an all-attractions pass that allows entry into some of Miami's touristy spots like the Metro Zoo, Miami Seaquarium, Vizcaya and Jungle Island.
But the visitor center is not just for tourists.
It doubles as a welcome center for new residents of Sunny Isles Beach and a mecca for history buffs hoping to learn about the city.
''There is a machine that talks about the history and facts of the city and we also sell a book about Sunny Isles Beach written by local historian Seth Bramson,'' Romero said.
The city also provides information on its shuttle bus -- which runs up and down Collins Avenue -- and may soon provide a free shuttle to South Beach.
''We hope to get that going in the next few months,'' Romero said.
The Sunny Isles Beach visitor center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
For information, call 305-792-1952.
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