CNN takes notice of Long Beach’s famous Gondola Getaway, a wildly popular gondola cruise business serving locals and tourists with a unique view of the canals and waterways of Naples Island. 

According to the interview with Gondola Getaway owner Mike O’Toole, business was down 20% in 2008 and 2009 but through research and a little marketing, O’Toole seems to be charting a new course for the New Year.

CNN reports: In Southern California, American gondolier Michael O’Toole is steering his fleet through the recession. O’Toole’s specialty romance business sells cruises along the waterways and canals of Naples Island, near Long Beach. This past year has been among the hardest the 27-year-old business has faced. 

“We used to be booked up two to three weeks in advance. It changed to last minute reservations,” O’Toole says. “All of a sudden, the tour groups weren’t as plentiful.”

“I’m thinking it’s not so much that the economy’s gotten better,” O’Toole says, “but I’m marketing better, and will be stronger forevermore.” 

Click here to read the article.

Watch the CNN interview below.