By Rachel Kyler
People are changing the way they vacation and it?s evident in Walton County?s summer reservations.
According to the Walton County Tourist Development Council, bookings are down for the 2006 summer season.
This not necessarily due to lack of interest in South Walton beaches; April?s bed taxes were up more than 15 percent for this year. However, people are approaching vacation planning differently, said TDC Executive Director Kriss Titus.
?So much has changed,? she said.
As the XY generation and ?echo boomers? are entering the rental market, there are more people registering for vacations ?on the spot,? Titus said.
Busier schedules, uncertainty of vacation time and the advent of the Internet are causing people to schedule their vacations later.
?In today?s society, we?re more, ?What are we going to do tomorrow??? Titus said. ?It?s a lot more difficult for some people to schedule a year out.?
In addition, Titus said increased availability of rental properties allow people to wait longer because they are not as concerned with securing a place. Cost is no longer the predominate factor. Renters have become increasingly concerned with ?added value,? like bike rentals, fitness centers, etc., Titus said.
?It?s a very competitive market,? Titus said. ?It?s a lot easier (for consumers) to make decisions.?
Reports are also indicating that visitors are concerned about the shape of the beaches and the upcoming hurricane season.
In an effort to encourage earlier bookings, the TDC moved $500,000 in contingence funds for a summer ad campaign to improve collections in the upcoming season.
The new summer ad campaign, ?Our beaches are beautiful with great summer rates,? will focus on value and the beaches desirability.
Regional ads will be placed in the Wall Street Journal targeting the South Atlanta District, which includes a large portion of the South East, and the Texas District, which covers Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma Kansas and part of New Mexico.
A strategic online campaign will target ?female family travel planners,? 35 to 54, with a household income in excess of $75,000 within South Walton?s top ten markets ? Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham, Mobile, New Orleans, Memphis, Dallas, Huntsville, Montgomery and Tallahassee.
SallySallyBeach Fanatic654 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
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PaulaPaulaBeach FanaticMichigan but someday in SoWal as well3,747 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
PaulaBeach FanaticMichigan but someday in SoWal as well3,747 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach FanaticWe, too, are booked for the summer at both our cottages up to the last week of August. Requests for fall are just starting to come in. We didn't raise our rates from last year. I think bookings for the summer came in a few weeks later this year than last year, but in the end it worked out fine. And I think more than half of our bookings came from our own advertising online. We also get several repeat guests. So far, so good...
UnderthebluemoonUnderthebluemoonBeach Lover67 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Lover
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SheilaSheilaSoWal InsiderSnellville, GA., Seacrest/Seagrove as often as we 5,781 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Insider
SheilaSoWal InsiderSnellville, GA., Seacrest/Seagrove as often as we 5,781 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal InsiderWe, too, are booked for the summer at both our cottages up to the last week of August. Requests for fall are just starting to come in. We didn't raise our rates from last year. I think bookings for the summer came in a few weeks later this year than last year, but in the end it worked out fine. And I think more than half of our bookings came from our own advertising online. We also get several repeat guests. So far, so good...
All 3 of our places are booked. I have also booked several weeks in August at all 3. Usually 1 week booked in August was about the norm.
BeachbummetteBeachbummetteSoWal InsiderBirmingham and Watersound5,742 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Insider
BeachbummetteSoWal InsiderBirmingham and Watersound5,742 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal InsiderWe are booked in both of our condo's up to August so far. Already some bookings for 2007! Looks like a good year for condo's. :clap_1:
Lady DLady DSoWal InsiderMemphis, Tennessee, United States6,131 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Insider
Lady DSoWal InsiderMemphis, Tennessee, United States6,131 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal InsiderI 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!
SheilaSheilaSoWal InsiderSnellville, GA., Seacrest/Seagrove as often as we 5,781 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Insider
SheilaSoWal InsiderSnellville, GA., Seacrest/Seagrove as often as we 5,781 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal InsiderI 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.
TooFarTampaTooFarTampaSoWal InsiderNative of Tampa now in Boston 'burbs. Left my hear5,422 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Insider
TooFarTampaSoWal InsiderNative of Tampa now in Boston 'burbs. Left my hear5,422 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal InsiderI 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 KittyMiss KittyMeow47,011 postsJoined View profileMessageMeow
Miss KittyMeow47,011 postsJoined View profileMessageMeowHey ladyd, you didn't tell us you worked for the Chamber of Commerce! 😀
MermaidMermaidpicky7,871 postsJoined View profileMessagepicky
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. :wub:
KurtKurtAdminSoWal2,470 postsJoined View profileMessageAdmin
KurtAdminSoWal2,470 postsJoined View profileMessageAdminI 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 LoverOcean LoverbeanBuckeye Country9,491 postsJoined View profileMessagebean
Ocean LoverbeanBuckeye Country9,491 postsJoined View profileMessagebeanI 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. :wub:
kathydwellskathydwellsDarlene is my middle name, not my nicknameLacey's Spring, Alabama13,303 postsJoined View profileMessageDarlene is my middle name, not my nickname
kathydwellsDarlene is my middle name, not my nicknameLacey's Spring, Alabama13,303 postsJoined View profileMessageDarlene is my middle name, not my nicknameWe weren't (and aren't, and will never will be) soured on SoWal. :wub:
My sentiments exactly!
KurtKurtAdminSoWal2,470 postsJoined View profileMessageAdmin
KurtAdminSoWal2,470 postsJoined View profileMessageAdmin
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. :wub:
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.
JdargJdargSoWal Expert18,040 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Expert
JdargSoWal Expert18,040 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal ExpertWe 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.
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.
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