PANAMA CITY BEACH — The quiet months of winter are over in Panama City Beach.
With the first influx of spring breakers descending on Bay County this weekend, it’s crunch time for the many hotels and resorts that cater to the college crowds — somewhat of a necessary evil for the local economy.
“As far as busy goes and revenue goes, Spring Break is definitely second to our summer season,” said Nikki Wilson, a property manager with Emerald Beach Properties, which manages about 30 units on Panama City Beach. “For March 7th through the 21st, we’re pretty much booked solid.”
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Based on Spring Break schedules for colleges across the country and booking rates, hoteliers expect the first and fourth weeks of March to be “soft weeks,” with the majority of traffic concentrated in the two middle weeks in March.
“As a property manager, the owners expect to get revenue that month,” said Wilson, adding that the business provides a nice boost after the winter season. “We definitely need to get some sort of revenue on the books.”
Boardwalk Beach Resort, a popular spot for spring breakers, also is expecting a busy season.
Matt Culpepper, marketing and media specialist for Boardwalk Beach Resort, said the resort is pacing about 15 percent ahead of last year for advanced bookings for March.
“We are poised for another successful Spring Break season for both college students and families,” Culpepper said. “Not only are we seeing an increase in overall reservations, but we have also noticed that the booking window is expanding.”
Culpepper echoed Wilson’s comments on Spring Break’s two busiest weeks, saying the last week in March follows closely behind. For Boardwalk, higher reservation rates also extend into April this year, when many families vacation during breaks from elementary and secondary schools.
“Where the Easter holiday falls is typically a strong indicator of Spring Break demand for both college and families and it’s holding true again this year,” Culpepper said, noting a much earlier Easter this year than in 2014. “Reservations for the first two weeks of April, largely referred to as Family Spring Break, continue to outpace last year’s numbers.”
Other properties on the Beach, however, won’t be breaking any records this season.
At the Chateau Motel on Front Beach Road, bookings are down about 25 percent compared to last year, something manager Nick Armstrong chalks up to negative publicity surrounding the event, decreased marketing efforts and stricter laws regarding alcohol consumption.
The Bay County Tourist Development Council (TDC) “increased its overall budget but reduced its Spring Break advertising budget by 100 percent and absolutely no dollars were budgeted or spent to promote Spring Break or Panama City Beach as a destination,” Armstrong said Friday. “This large budget advertising is crucial in competing with other Spring Break destinations such as Daytona [Beach], South Padre Island, Fort Lauderdale, Cancun, etc.”
Additionally, Armstrong said the earlier bar closing times have created security concerns among motel staff this year. While the previous 4 a.m. closure times allowed for a gradual return for partying spring breakers, he expects a “mass exodus” of students to flood the motel lobby shortly after the bars close at 2 a.m. in Panama City Beach.
“The Chateau has increased our security budget; however, it is definitely not ideal to do so when sales are down, but what choice do we have?” he said. “I believe there are things that can be changed or modified to increase the safety and appeal of Spring Break on Panama City Beach, but I do not feel as though we are heading in the right direction.”
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TDC director Dan Rowe said while the agency opted not to market Spring Break to students this year, it is using resources to push a campaign reminding students to “Spring Break responsibly.”
Overall, he said he anticipates a busy spring season, with March traditionally poised as the third biggest month for room nights and visitor spending on the Beach, behind June and July.
“March will be fairly strong and April will be fairly strong,” Rowe said. “With the weather up north right now, with the snow this week ... I think people will want to come down and have some fun in the sun.”