Ron Jon catches bus tour wave.(marketing strategy of Cocoa Beach, Florida-based Ron Jon Surf Shop for its chartered bus services)

Number of visitors arriving by coach doubled in 1998

COCOA BEACH - Ron Jon Surf Shop is riding a wave of success with Central Florida bus tour operators.

In 1998, the number of tourists carted in on coaches to the colossal Cocoa Beach store doubled to nearly 51,000. While that's a mere 2 percent of the total 2.3 million people who visited the store last year, the company sees tremendous potential in the bus market.

Store officials cite several reasons for the uptick in bus customers, including a new marketing push by the retailer itself and increased interest in Ron Jon among bus tour operators.

"We've just started to aggressively market it," says Tracey Gray, who directs Ron Jon's bus tour operations. "We are joining tour and travel …