It’s only July, but the Carolinas have already seen 12 shark attacks in 2015, compared with a normal average of four to six for the region in an entire year. To put that in further perspective, the entire country of Australia, which gets wide media attention for shark attacks, saw a total of 23 attacks in 2014. Five were fatal and 14 caused injury.
But none of that is keeping families away from places like the Outer Banks, Hilton Head or Myrtle Beach.
No one has canceled their summer reservations at Outer Banks Blue, a vacation home rental company in North Carolina, said owner Tim Cafferty. He’s actually seen a spike in business.
“Over the last two weeks we’ve seen more last-minute rentals than we have in the last five years,” Cafferty said. “It’s really been ironic. I think people understand it’s an isolated event, and that the chances are infinitesimally small.”
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Cafferty added, however, that the attacks may be leading to greater customer traffic for inland businesses.
“I believe we’ve seen a better economic situation here, quite frankly, that people are doing other things besides going to the beach,” he said. He’s seen increased tourist attendance at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, para-sailing on the more enclosed “Soundside” waters, and ropes courses.
The Island Resort and Inn, a hotel off the beach in Oak Island, North Carolina, where two of the attacks have occurred, already has customers rebooking vacations for next year, said office manager Rose Dauphinais.
“I’ve been coming here since 1976, and this was the first shark attack I’ve ever heard of,” she said, but added that “no one has canceled their trips.”
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