CLEARWATER, Fla. — Memorial Day weekend is drawing thousands of travelers to beaches across the country — and Clearwater Beach is feeling the surge, with crowds at the pier and giving local businesses a significant boost.
Steven Leon, owner of LED Love Letters on the Clearwater Pier, said holiday weekends like this one are a major driver for his business.
"I feel proud to be American. I feel proud to be in one of the most beautiful places in the United States and, and see all these wonderful faces and make a living at the same time, so I'm good, no complaints, the sun is shining," Leon said.
WATCH: Memorial Day crowds bring boost to Clearwater Beach businesses
With more foot traffic and longer hours, he said the crowds can nearly triple what a typical day looks like.
"Holiday weekends absolutely make a difference," Leon said. "Doing one day is like working 3 days in one."
AAA says Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year, with 45 million people expected to travel nationwide. Florida is a popular destination, bringing large crowds to Clearwater.
Angela Fuhrmann has been selling jewelry on the Clearwater Pier for nearly 30 years and says she has already seen thousands of people this holiday weekend.
"Our spring and summer are our busiest times of the year so we definitely look forward to it for sure," Fuhrmann said.
Fuhrmann said the volume of visitors on a holiday weekend is staggering.
"10,000 — I'm going to say that comes through for the whole day," Fuhrmann said. "I mean it's a continuous flow from morning to night.
The warm weather is playing a big role in drawing both locals and tourists to the area. Andrew Garcia, visiting from Indiana, said this weather doesn't compare to what it's like up north.
"It's beautiful. It's right now in Indiana, it's like 60 degrees. Over here it's like 90. Like I can't beat that," Garcia said.
For one Atlanta family, the trip to Clearwater has become an annual Memorial Day tradition. Keisha Chapman said the visits began when she was pregnant with her now three-year-old son, Carter.
"We started coming when he was in my tummy, and we've been here ever since," Chapman said.
Carter's dad, Vincent Crawley, said Clearwater stood out among Florida's options.
"We live in Atlanta, so there are no beaches out there, so we pretty much take our pick of the litter in Florida and Clearwater came out on top," Crawley said.
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