Galveston Island Park Board of Trustees

Despite the weather, East Beach saw a fantastic turnout last weekend with the Beach Blitz soccer tournament! We welcomed 2,700 cars over two days, generating revenue nearly on par with the AIA Sandcastle competition! 🏆 Sports tourism is thriving in our beach parks and community, proving that even a little rain can't dampen the excitement. A big thank you to everyone who joined us! 🌟 #SportsTourism #EastBeach #LoveGalveston #BeachBlitz2024

In response to the recent challenges brought by #HurricaneBeryl, the Galveston Park Board has approved $615,000 in emergency tourism recovery funding. 🎉 This crucial support will boost our island's visibility and invigorate the local economy. Here's what's in store: 🔥 Immediate Action: Expect an extra splash of radio presence in Houston, Dallas, Austin, Beaumont, and San Antonio. Visit Galveston is also gearing up for some additional pre-Labor Day media buys. 🎆 Spectacular Events: Trustees approved budget for 3 dazzling seawall fireworks shows and a breathtaking downtown drone show on Labor Day weekend. We've got plans to make every season special, ensuring Galveston is a can't-miss destination all year round. We can't wait to share these incredible experiences with you. Our mission, always, is to support our local community and showcase the beauty of our island paradise. 🏖️🌺 #GalvestonStrong #SupportLocal #LoveGalveston

We are incredibly proud of our dedicated operations teams for logging over 2,000 hours in preparation and recovery efforts during #HurricaneBeryl! 💪 Their hard work has been crucial in keeping our beautiful island safe and welcoming for everyone. Here's a breakdown of their amazing efforts: 🏖️ Coastal Zone Management: Over 400 hours were spent pre-storm to secure our beaches, including lifeguard towers and public art. Post-storm, they tirelessly worked nearly 200 hours to restore our coastline, repairing seawall ramps and replacing signage. 🚨 Beach Patrol: Our heroes on the beach played a vital role in emergency response, logging countless hours salvaging equipment and ensuring safety with new signage, on top of their regular lifesaving duties! 🌿 Parks Maintenance: With 700 hours dedicated to clean-up and repairs, they tackled everything from fence and roof damage to breaches in dune lines across our parks and facilities. Let's give a big shoutout to these unsung heroes for their hard work and dedication! 👏👏 #GalvestonStrong #LoveGalveston

The past two weeks have been stressful for Galveston residents. In the wake of #HurricaneBeryl, there was much discussion about the 'right time' to welcome guests back to the island-- as visitors are critical to sustaining local business. Read more on the subject from our CEO Kimberly Danesi below. ** It’s tough to balance the needs of a community with the needs of a tourism destination. While those needs are not completely mutually exclusive, they do vary. As the entity charged with directing tourism efforts and keeping the beaches clean and safe, the Park Board makes it our goal to prioritize residents in times of need while completing its mission. After the recent storm, residents who own and work in the local tourism field sought our help. Hurricane Beryl swept across Galveston Island July 8. It left in its wake thousands of islanders without power and many with damaged property. Many businesses suffered, too. And part of the suffering was lack of patrons and the subsequent lack of revenue. The peak summer tourism season lasts about 14 weeks, so every week counts. As soon it became clear that Galveston shops, restaurants and attractions were back online, the Park Board’s communications team went to work helping to spread the word and encourage visitors and residents – those who were ready and able – to help support local businesses. The sales team made calls twice a day checking on the status of hotels and condos. The marketing and social media team’s messaging aimed to put a human face on local businesses. After all, many island business owners live here and their staff also live here. They are invested in our community, so we wanted to be sure to highlight their work and encourage people to support them. The public relations team distributed factual information to regional news outlets about the status of beaches, restaurants, attractions, cruising and more. Several news organizations came to the island and conducted interviews about Galveston’s being open for business. The communications team also made regular updates to the Visit Galveston website informing visitors about businesses as they returned. Of course, the Park Board also worked closely with the City of Galveston in its messaging. Both entities shared regular updates about safety and beach access. Galveston Island’s tourism industry is one of its key economic drivers. It supports one out of three jobs on the island and, last year, visitor spending totaled $1.3 billion... To read the full story and support The Galveston County Daily News, visit https://bit.ly/3Skf5gR.

Join Us this Friday for Women in Coastal Science! 🌊 📅 Date: Friday, July 26 📍 Location: East Beach Pavilion 🕤 Time: 9:30 AM - Coffee and Networking 🕙 10 AM - Guest Speaker: Dr. Anna Weiss, Director of Green Galveston Initiatives at Vision Galveston. Dr. Weiss, a coastal scientist with a rich background in climate resilience and community-driven sustainability, will share her insights and experiences. 🌿 About Women in Coastal Science: Hosted by the Galveston Park Board, this series showcases women scientists addressing coastal environmental challenges. Don't miss out! #WomenInScience #GalvestonEvents #CoastalScience

Think you know Bryson? Think again! ✨ 😉 Check out this special feature on our very own Chief Financial Officer Bryson Frazier. Congratulations again on your 40 under 40 honor. 🎉 https://lnkd.in/eyuc82SZ

We seated a new trustee today! 🤩 Carlos Guerra was officially sworn in and seated at a special meeting today. Carlos has been a long-time volunteer with the Park Board, and we are excited to have him at the trustee table. What a great way to end the week. See you all again at the regular meeting on Tuesday. ✨

Kindness is a superpower! 🏝️💙🤟 Thank you to the linemen, first responders, locals, and all the businesses on Galveston Island for all that you do. #LoveGalveston

Team Spotlight: Beach Park Staff 🤩😎 The wonderful staff at East Beach and Stewart Beach have been working tirelessly all week long to get our parks clean and amenities back up and running. Throughout the season, this team works to bring our visitors the best beach experience possible through park maintenance, cleanliness and exceptional guest service. Thank you, guys! #LoveGalveston #GalvestonStrong #TeamSpotlight

Our beaches are clean and ready for you, thanks to our incredible Coastal Zone Management (CZM) team! 🏖️🪣 They worked tirelessly, even in the dark hours, to clear debris from the beachfront after the storm. Even on a regular day, the Texas coast sees more marine debris from upriver than any other state in the Gulf, but you wouldn’t know it because the CZM team cleans the beach before most people are even awake. We are so grateful for their hard work and dedication, ensuring we have a clean coastline to enjoy while we all recover and pick up the rest of the island. 💙 #GalvestonStrong #ByeByeBeryl #LoveGalveston