Galveston Island Kicks off Summer Tourism Season with Positive Economic Outlook, New Activities

GALVESTON ISLAND, Texas (May 22, 2024) – As thousands of visitors flock to Galveston during the kickoff to summer season – Memorial Day Weekend -- the island’s tourism industry anticipates a successful summer vacation season. The optimism is supported with recent economic data and a slate of new events and activities for visitors. 2024 Galveston Tourism Outlook The travel and hospitality industries are expected to continue their upward trend. After a successful spring break holiday, Galveston plans to greet more than 500,000 visitors to the island during Memorial Day weekend. According to a recently released economic impact report from Pennsylvania based Tourism Economics, hotel occupancy tax collections set records during the 2023 fiscal year. More than $30 million in HOT was collected. Hotel revenues grew 5% in 2023 and visitor spending on the island totaled $1.3 billion reflecting a 9.6% increase over last year. Based on this news, plus new activities and special events, Visit Galveston and the Galveston Park Board expect a successful summer tourism season. Special Memorial Day Event Galveston Naval Museum Ceremony The Galveston Naval Museum will host a Memorial Day Ceremony featuring Galveston Mayor Craig Brown as the keynote speaker. The event will take place May 27 at 10 a.m. at Seawolf Park, 100 Seawolf Parkway. Those attending may park and visit the museum for free from 9-11 a.m. Galveston residents can park for free year-round at the park. For more information, visit www.galvestonnavalmuseum.com. New This Summer Washed Ashore Sculptures Return to GalvestonThanks to popular demand, 15 sculptures from Oregon-based Washed Ashore will return to the island. They will be on display throughout Galveston through September 30, 2024. These larger than life works of art depict marine animals and are made from plastic trash that has washed ashore on beaches in the U.S. Similar Washed Ashore exhibits have been on display at prominent locations throughout the country including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, plus zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens. Its Galveston debut last year marked the first time the exhibit was not behind a paid gate in the United States. Free to the public, a map of the sculptures can be found Here New Exhibit and Summer Fun at Moody Gardens In addition to a living rainforest, an aquarium with sea life from throughout the world, the 240-acre Moody Gardens complex opens its newest exhibition just in time for Memorial Day. Body Worlds RX offers visitors the unique opportunity to dive deep and explore the intricate biology and physiology of human health and the dramatic effects of disease through a journey into the human body. Later this summer, Moody Gardens will host a weekly summer concert series, Beats on the Beach, at Palm Beach. For more information, visit www.moodygardens.org. Hotel Lucine offers Free Summer Music Series Every Saturday from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, the Hotel Lucine presents Sunsets and Sounds on its rooftop bar. Featuring a new artist every week, guests can enjoy some of Texas’ hottest music while sipping cool cocktails. The concerts are free and begin at 6 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served. See the schedule at www.hotellucine.com. Free Movies and Music on the Strand Head to historic downtown Galveston for the 2024 Strand Summer Series. These movie and music nights take place in The Strand’s principal parks and feature free-to-the-public concerts and movies from April through September. Concerts take place at Saengerfest Park and movies are screened at Hendley Green on the Strand. For information and a schedule, visit www.galvestonhistory.org. Galveston Beach Activities Galveston Beach Parks Welcome Visitors with Amenities and Activities Galveston is home to several beach parks along the island’s coastline – East Beach, Stewart Beach, Seawall Urban Park and Dellanera R.V. Park. These parks offer guests amenities that include restrooms, showers, beach chair rentals, volleyball courts, snack bars and concessions. For beachgoers with disabilities, Stewart Beach, East Beach and Dellanara Park offer free beach wheelchair rentals. For details on the beach parks, head to www.visitgalveston.com. Stay Safe Beach safety is of utmost importance to Galveston’s Beach Patrol. Visitors are urged to learn about and obey warning flags. Information can be found here: www.visitgalveston.com/beachpatrol. Help Support a Cleaner Beach in Galveston Visitors to Galveston’s beaches will have new ways to help keep them clean for all to enjoy. At several locations, they will find Up2U free trash bags to collect their waste and Beach Toy Borrow boxes to recycle used beach toys. Additionally, the Leave No Trace ordinance will be enforced during the spring and summer seasons. The Leave No Trace ordinance mandates that visitors do not leave belongings on the beach overnight -- like coolers, chairs, and tents -- to protect wildlife and prevent items from being washed into the ocean. See how you can help Here Sandcastle Lessons Budding architects can learn how to build sandcastles from the pros during free sandcastle lessons.  taking place at East Beach every Saturday from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends. Some supplies are provided, but participants are encouraged to bring beach buckets and shovels. Get more information Here Family Beach Challenge The Galveston Family Beach Challenge returns to Stewart Beach this season. The Challenge is an obstacle course allowing families to compete at 14 stations including limbo, giant Jenga, beach soccer, sack races and more. Winners stand to receive valuable gift certificates. The competitions take place June 9, July 7, Aug. 11 and Sept. 8 and begin at 11 a.m. Registration can be found at www.galvestonchallenge.com. Artist Boat Bucket Brigade Learn about Galveston’s coastal environment and its creatures and features. Artist Boat’s Bucket Brigade provides hands-on tours at East Beach that are educational and fun for ocean lovers of all ages. The tours investigate topics including Galveston’s water, its ecology, and the importance of keeping the beaches clean. Tours take place on Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. To register, visit www.artistboat.org. Save Big with the Galveston Island Pass Visit Galveston provides visitors with a special passport to adventure and savings with the Galveston Island Pass. The pass allows visitors to experience multiple Galveston attractions on one ticket and save 40 percent off regular admission prices. For more information and to purchase a pass, visit www.GalvestonIslandPass.com. For more information on Galveston tourism, go to www.visitgalveston.com. About Galveston Island Galveston Island is a historic beach town located on the Gulf of Mexico just 50 miles from Houston. The island is best known as a vacation destination, offering 32 miles of beaches, a variety of family attractions, Texas’ premier cruise port and one of the largest and well-preserved concentrations of Victorian architecture in the country, including several National Historic Landmarks. Galveston Island is the birthplace of Juneteenth and home to popular amusements such as Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark, as well as a variety of museums and recreational activities from surfing to birding. For more information on Galveston Island go to www.visitgalveston.com or call 1-888-GAL-ISLE.