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SoWalSally

Beach Fanatic
Feb 19, 2005
649
49
The Defuniak Herald ? EMPTY BEDS EQUALS LESS REVENUE
By LEAH STRATMANN

While the number of visitors to the area decreased 21.5 percent from March of 2008 to March of 2009, the news wasn?t all bad, according to records kept by the South Walton Tourist Development Council (TDC) and provided last week at the monthly meeting of TDC.
Filling in for the missing treasurer, executive director Sonny Mares reported that overall revenue so far in 2009 is down 13.3 percent, but for several consecutive years prior to last year there were increases in the numbers every year. ?Even with reduced revenue, we are on a par with numbers from 2006 to 2007,? he said.
?The April numbers will reflect spring break numbers and June to September are the heaviest months. I have heard bookings are strong for these months. I think people?s confidence in travel will return,? Mares noted......
 

ShallowsNole

Beach Fanatic
Jun 22, 2005
4,292
849
Pt Washington
Visitors are down, but I wouldn't say visitors are down 21.5%. Bed tax collections were down 21.6% for March, but those numbers are also a reflection of rates (which are dropping) and shorter stays, as well as number of visitors. Make no mistake, tourism is down, but we are on par with the rest of the area.

Also - and this didn't dawn on me until yesterday - Easter was in March in 2008. That makes a huge difference.

Nothing official here, but you have to have April numbers to see what kind of a spring we really had. :cool:
 

30A Skunkape

Skunky
Jan 18, 2006
10,286
2,312
53
Backatown Seagrove
Visitors are down, but I wouldn't say visitors are down 21.5%. Bed tax collections were down 21.6% for March, but those numbers are also a reflection of rates (which are dropping) and shorter stays, as well as number of visitors. Make no mistake, tourism is down, but we are on par with the rest of the area.

Also - and this didn't dawn on me until yesterday - Easter was in March in 2008. That makes a huge difference.

Nothing official here, but you have to have April numbers to see what kind of a spring we really had. :cool:

The devil really is in the details. I wonder how many people backed out of Memorial weekend after seeing how crappy the weather would be.
 

TooFarTampa

SoWal Insider
The devil really is in the details. I wonder how many people backed out of Memorial weekend after seeing how crappy the weather would be.

If they paid for a house or condo, they can't back out. :wave:

But Memorial Day week is early this year, and rates certainly are down.
 
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