South Padre Island leaders said they’re expecting to see more visitors this year amid a busy Memorial Day weekend.

Blake Henry, SPI’s executive director for the city’s visitors and convention bureau, said the busy weekend at the island is likely because of a year-long promotional campaign that focused on the area’s affordability and safety.

“We're seeing an uptick in traffic through our hard work,” Henry said. “All that money that’s injecting into a local economy is meaningful as we are a tourist driven destination."

Henry said the bureau has noticed an uptick in families staying on the island compared to last year as more people are booking short-term rentals — which typically have more space and a kitchen.

Restaurants are also adapting to the summer demand by adding seasonal staff.

"We have some college kids coming back to work for the summer, we've also added a barista,” Rebecca Fraley with the Meatball Café said.

The bureau won't exact numbers on how many visitors stayed on the island during the Memorial Day weekend for another two months. They’ll gather the date by looking at the amount visitors were charged in hotel occupancy taxes.

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