What's the general take on the 2008 tourist season, according to local business owners?

"I think it's been mixed according to the other retailers I've talked to," said Gary Elliott, president of the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce. "I thought Easter would make season shorter, but it might make it last longer. It will just go by as an important date, but not a critical day for leaving (the island)."

Elliott said in many cases, families came to Marco for Easter weekend to avoid poor weather up north.

Overall, Elliott said the 2008 results for season depend on whom one asks.

"Some members are doing well, some are doing so-so," he said.

Sandi Reidemann, director of the chamber, said tourist season this year on Marco has been about the same as other years.

She thought visitors may have been a little more protective of their money this season.

"I think they watched their money a bit more," she said.

Despite the early Easter, Riedemann predicted that many seasonal visitors will stay at least another month.

"I think that people might stay a little longer since the weather is so bad up North," she said, adding that May could be the time when more seasonal residents head back home.

Doing better

Mac Chaudhry, general manager of the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort believes the season will begin slowing down in April.

"We are doing better than 2007 for the first quarter," Chaudhry said. "Since Easter is earlier in March this year, April is looking softer than last year's April. We are hoping that a strong Euro will make our area a good value for European travelers as well for the summer."

Eugenio Cardenas, a store manager at the Walgreen's located at the corner of Barfield and San Marco, has been encouraged by the past few weeks.

However, he thinks it won't be as good as 2007.

"The last couple of weeks have been good," Cardenas said. "In the near future, we'll be experiencing many people going up north, so it will probably be a weaker post-Easter season than last year."

Cardenas said European visitors to Marco have helped.

More affluent visitors?

Scott Hopkins, manager at Cedar Bay Yacht Club, has been pleased with this year's season.

"Our season has overall been a good one," he said, adding that January boat rentals were about the same as 2007, February rentals were a little down and March rentals have been up.

"We have no complaints," Hopkins said. "What we are seeing is a different person coming to the island."

According to Hopkins, more affluent visitors are coming to Marco and a downturn in the economy is not affecting them.

Hopkins also believes what he terms the "Disney effect" is taking place. While full-time residents may shy away from spending time on the water, visitors are taking advantage of their time down in South Florida.

"While they're here, relative to where they're at, they're going out," Hopkins said. "No one's not renting a boat due to the boat prices.

"The type of person coming to Marco has money and is not looking at price point," Hopkins said. "They want the finer things, they're not shy on spending money."

Hopkins said the question for business owners in the future is: "Does your business cater to that new tourist? If it doesn't, you've got to make changes."

For the first time, Hopkins said 90 percent of Cedar Bay's boats were rented two weeks before Easter.

"If I had a hundred (boats) I could rent them, but I don't want that many boats in September," Hopkins said.