Last year, Florida played host to more than 100 million visitors. That represents a sharp increase from just a few years back. Tourism, like many businesses, ebbs and flows depending on the time of year. Few times are as busy in South Florida as the holiday season. A flood of new visitors can strain resorts, hotels and other tourist attractions. The strain can show itself in several ways, including an increased likelihood of accidents and injuries.
Addressing safety concerns
Property owners are required to address any maintenance or safety issues that they know or should have known about. When things are busy, it can take longer than it should to resolve these issues. Owners and managers do not always place the proper emphasis on safety concerns over other, lesser considerations.
Security and staffing concerns
Another drawback of crowds is that they can push an understaffed business past its breaking point. Staffing concerns can lead to safety problems when swimming pools go unmonitored, or a lack of security leads to robberies, assaults or other criminal attacks. Part of a property owner’s responsibility is to make sure there are enough employees available to protect the guests. It is not a defense to say injuries occurred because there was no one on hand to provide proper security and maintenance. If a business is understaffed, it can hire more people or limit the guests it allows on site to make sure they are safe.
December and January are wonderful times to be in Florida. It is up to hotels, resorts and other businesses catering to visitors to make sure that guests are not exposed to dangerous premises. If they fail in that duty, they should be held accountable.