GALVESTON, Texas — Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and Galveston is expecting a very busy tourism season in 2023.
As more people flock to the island, safety remains paramount. Local officials said they welcomed millions of visitors last year, and this year, they're expecting more.
The Galveston Island Beach Patrol said it will be ready to respond to emergencies, but they're asking people to be smart.
From the surf to the shops, it's starting to feel like summer on the island.
"Everything's looking good for a nice experience for all our visitors," Visit Galveston PR manager Mart Beth Bassett said.
Bassett said Monday is the beginning of what's expected to be a busy summer.
"Memorial Day does signal the start of tourism season here on Galveston Island. We expect to have about 500,000 people come to the island over three days," she said.
Last year, 8.1 million people visited the island, a 10% increase from the year before.
With the rise in visitors comes heightened safety concerns, especially when it comes to the water.
"With that comes a lot of responsibility on our part because 32 miles of beach plus bay, plus night calls," GIBP Chief Peter Davis said.
Davis said lifeguard staffing has been an issue but they do expect to meet the demand this year.
"Everyone at every kind of job like this has had trouble finding enough guards, and we have, too. Our domestic numbers are very low, but what saved us last year, and what's going to save us this year, is our J-1 visas that come in. We have a lot of guards that come from Colombia. Last year, we had 25. This year, we're already at 42," Davis said.
Davis also offered these tips when getting into the water:
- Maintain situational awareness
- Swim near a lifeguard tower
- Avoid swimming near any kind of structures that can create a rip current
- Assign a "water watcher" in your group
Davis said 80% of rescues last year happened as a result of people swimming near structures that create rip currents. They also take sand and make the water very deep.
For more information about staying safe, click here.