DAYTONA BEACH — With scenes of rumbling, smoke-belching monster trucks that turned the World’s Most Famous Beach into a war zone earlier this summer still fresh in their minds, Daytona Beach tourism leaders are looking to define a better long-term definition of the destination’s identity.
But even before the process has started, the prospect of enlisting an outside consultant to help craft that vision has sparked a wide range of reaction from hoteliers, business owners in the core beachside tourist district and residents.
It’s not all positive.
“We don’t need another consultant,” said Gary Koliopoulos, longtime owner of Beach Express souvenir shop, a fixture for 30 years at the corner of South Atlantic and Harvey avenues. “We’ve got more consultant reports than we can shake a stick at. I’ve been here a long time and I’ve seen it all. We need to spend more money marketing and do it more effectively."