Low summer 2006 bookings, TDC to increase advertising

[Lady D]

I would imagine people are leery of setting up anything down there with all the hurricanes and damage that occurred during the past two years. Especially last year. And when you spend say $1500.00 for a week like at Sandestin Resort and it isn't even Gulf front, and you go and the beach is littered with hurricane debris. Well, who wants to spend that kind of money to look at a bunch of debris and destroyed beaches? All the storms may have soured some people to where they do not want to come to the beach! It nearly had my husband. He kept saying he didn't want to walk or sit on a messy hurricane destroyed beach. And where we stay more than half the beach was gone and probably still is!

 

[Sheila]

I would imagine people are leery of setting up anything down there with all the hurricanes and damage that occurred during the past two years. Especially last year. And when you spend say $1500.00 for a week like at Sandestin Resort and it isn't even Gulf front, and you go and the beach is littered with hurricane debris. Well, who wants to spend that kind of money to look at a bunch of debris and destroyed beaches? All the storms may have soured some people to where they do not want to come to the beach! It nearly had my husband. He kept saying he didn't want to walk or sit on a messy hurricane destroyed beach. And where we stay more than half the beach was gone and still is?

I guess everyone is headed to the mountians this year for vacation.

 

[TooFarTampa]

I guess everyone is headed to the mountians this year for vacation.

We are booked solid through Aug. 12, a first for us. I think people are rightly waiting on late Aug or Labor Day bookings because of the hurricanes -- I expect we'll have one or two more bookings. We just had our first 2007 renter book for spring break (March 31) and she's from Ohio, so it doesn't appear that interest in the area is down -- it's only spreading (right Paula?). I do think that pricing the rentals properly is important. Those who have done so are probably doing quite well.

 

[Miss Kitty]

Hey ladyd, you didn't tell us you worked for the Chamber of Commerce!

 

[Mermaid]

I would imagine people are leery of setting up anything down there with all the hurricanes and damage that occurred during the past two years. Especially last year. And when you spend say $1500.00 for a week like at Sandestin Resort and it isn't even Gulf front, and you go and the beach is littered with hurricane debris. Well, who wants to spend that kind of money to look at a bunch of debris and destroyed beaches? All the storms may have soured some people to where they do not want to come to the beach! It nearly had my husband. He kept saying he didn't want to walk or sit on a messy hurricane destroyed beach. And where we stay more than half the beach was gone and still is?

I suppose it's all how you look at things. We were staying on Eastern Lake only seven days after the hurricane in July of last year. Instead of being annoyed, we felt grateful that our cottage was spared and that we still HAD a vacation. We actually thought it was interesting--in a peverse/sad kind of way, of course--how Mother Nature wreaked havoc on the dunes. And seeing that we're smart enough not to walk on the dunes anyway, what did it really matter in the long run? We still had the fabulous water, the great beach walking, and all the other countless amenities that SoWal offers. The beach was hardly destroyed to us. We weren't (and aren't, and will never will be) soured on SoWal.

 

[Kurt]

I would imagine people are leery of setting up anything down there with all the hurricanes and damage that occurred during the past two years. Especially last year. And when you spend say $1500.00 for a week like at Sandestin Resort and it isn't even Gulf front, and you go and the beach is littered with hurricane debris. Well, who wants to spend that kind of money to look at a bunch of debris and destroyed beaches? All the storms may have soured some people to where they do not want to come to the beach! It nearly had my husband. He kept saying he didn't want to walk or sit on a messy hurricane destroyed beach. And where we stay more than half the beach was gone and still is?

There is no hurricane debris on our beaches now. The beaches are not destroyed. They are not half gone.

Here are some pics - http://www.sowal.com/photos.html

 

[Ocean Lover]

I would imagine people are leery of setting up anything down there with all the hurricanes and damage that occurred during the past two years. Especially last year. And when you spend say $1500.00 for a week like at Sandestin Resort and it isn't even Gulf front, and you go and the beach is littered with hurricane debris. Well, who wants to spend that kind of money to look at a bunch of debris and destroyed beaches? All the storms may have soured some people to where they do not want to come to the beach! It nearly had my husband. He kept saying he didn't want to walk or sit on a messy hurricane destroyed beach. And where we stay more than half the beach was gone and still is?

Last year we were in Seagrove a month after Dennis. Yes, the dunes didn't look great but when we were at the beach we weren't looking behind us!! The water and sand was incredibly gorgeous! We had one of the best times ever. We saw some debris in the lakes and a little washed ashore but it did not take away from the beauty everyhwere else! I'd be there in a heartbeat this summer if I could...nothing compares.

 

[kathydwells]

We weren't (and aren't, and will never will be) soured on SoWal.

My sentiments exactly!

 

[Kurt]

Last year we were in Seagrove a month after Dennis. Yes, the dunes didn't look great but when we were at the beach we weren't looking behind us!! The water and sand was incredibly gorgeous! We had one of the best times ever. We saw some debris in the lakes and a little washed ashore but it did not take away from the beauty everyhwere else! I'd be there in a heartbeat this summer if I could...nothing compares.

Last year there were problems. Other than houses and condos being out of commission the biggest thing was the lack of walkovers, wiped out by Arlene, soon after being rebuilt from Ivan the year before. Then Cindy and Dennis came most people (including the county) decided to wait until after the season to rebuild. Almost all are rebuilt now.

 

[Jdarg]

We were down 2 weeks after Dennis. The beach was gorgeous, the water was prettier than I have ever seen it, and the SoWal spirit was evident everywhere we went.

We picked our place for this summer and booked it last fall. I would rather take a chance on a hurricane than get shut out the rental that I wanted.