Repost From News Herald
PANAMA CITY BEACH — While some blanket statements from the national media have indicated the state of tourism in Northwest Florida is dire, a drive down Front Beach Road or a walk around Pier Park tell a different story.
“There is definitely a perception out there that it’s like a ghost town, but that’s just not true,” By the Sea Resorts General Manager Lee Ann Leonard said. “I just spoke to a guest at the front desk that said he couldn’t believe how full it is.”
Leonard said By the Sea Resorts actually started out the month of June more than $100,000 ahead of last year, despite losing about $160,000 in cancellations. And while business has slowed over the past week, she said she still expects to end June with an occupancy rate of about 87 percent.
“This past weekend we only hit about 75 percent occupancy,” she said. “But I think the west end (beaches) may have suffered a little bit more because there were some tar ball sightings in the area.”
Other beachfront hotels reported better-than-expected numbers of late, and many said they expected to have a banner Fourth of July Weekend.
“We’re planning for a 100 percent sold-out Fourth of July,” said Boardwalk Beach Resort and Convention Center director of marketing Amy Harris, who added that the resort will hold a Boardwalk Beach Bash to celebrate the holiday July 3, with fireworks starting at 8:30 p.m.
“Historically, at this point, we would already be sold out property-wide, so the oil is definitely making our guests hesitate,” she said. “But there was the same level of uncertainty for Memorial Day weekend, and then people decided to go for it at the last minute, and we’re expecting that again.”
Later bookings have been the trend all over Panama City Beach. Marriot’s Bay Point Resort General Manager David Sheets said he’s changed the resort’s cancellation policy to make guests more comfortable booking early. He said the resort is doing “very well” right now, although the short notice on bookings makes it challenging to forecast occupancy rates and staff accordingly.
“People are watching the news to check the weather and the status of the beaches,” he said. “They’re continuing on with their plans; they’re just very cautious.”
Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Beth Oltman said her staff has been inundated with calls from potential visitors checking on the condition of the beaches.
“There’s a lot of anxiety and fear,” she said. “But we’re making sure that people continue to have faith in Panama City Beach. We continue to market our area because, right now, our beaches are beautiful. The beaches were busy this weekend.”
Changes in trends
While Oltman is staying positive through what she called an “unprecedented terror,” she said she has seen changes in booking trends. Aside from guests giving shorter notices, they’re booking shorter trips.
“Instead of the traditional weeklong stays, we’re getting weekend stays,” said Paul Wohlford, vice president of marketing for The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach. “I think we will look back on this summer, and it’s not going to be the summer we all expected, and BP needs to pay for that. But the faucets haven’t dried up, that’s for sure.”
Harris said she has also seen shorter stays, but it’s a trend she noticed emerging last year as a result of the economy.
The last few years of economic struggle make it difficult to assess just how much the oil spill has affected tourism. While most hoteliers said their numbers were down only slightly from last year, all had predicted growth this year, and that hasn’t happened.
But it has happened in Pier Park, where both Five Guys Burgers & Fries and Back Porch Seafood House reported that sales were up by about 5 percent compared to last summer. Five Guys heneral manager Joe Parra said that being near all the attractions Pier Park has to offer has helped shield area businesses from the economic effects of the oil spill.
Matt Sirius, director of marketing for Southern Restaurant Group, which owns Back Porch, added that Panama City Beach is getting some business from other coastal towns that have been harder hit by the oil spill. Southern Restaurant Group also owns restaurants in Destin, where Sirius said sales are down.
He echoed the same sentiments heard from all area business owners, however, when he said he does expect to see losses if the national media keeps “scaring people away.” Sheets added that dealing with the national media’s inclination to make blanket statements about the Panhandle is his “biggest challenge.”
“People around the country are becoming a little more callous, almost like the oil spill is becoming second nature,” Oltman added. “So it’s very important to continue to remind people that our beaches are clean and we will not take anything but completion of this oil well being capped. And we can’t forget to let anyone that comes here right now know that we appreciate them very much.”
The current NOAA 72 Hour Forecast Map shows the entire “area of uncertainty” West of Pensacola. The actual text on the forecast reads as follows;
