PANAMA CITY BEACH — In a state where everything is bigger, Bay County tourism officials see big opportunity.
While the area’s visitor profile still weighs heavily on neighboring states like Georgia and Alabama, a booming economy in Texas coupled with easy access by air recently opened doors farther west.
“At the end of the day, Texas is a huge market,” said Dan Rowe, director of the Bay County Tourist Development Council (TDC). “Their economy is moving forward, there are a lot of people with money to travel and this is a great place to come visit.”
Southwest Airlines recently announced it will begin nonstop service to Dallas out of Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) sometime next year following the end of the Wright Amendment, a federal law that restricts direct flights out of Dallas Love Field (DAL). The law was designed to protect Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport from unlimited competition from Love Field.
With the Wright Amendment set to expire in October, Rowe said the announcement reinforces Texas is a good market for the TDC.
“As soon as the Wright Amendment expires, they want to come to Panama City Beach as (one of the) first destinations they’ve announced, so that’s huge,” he said. “That shows that this is a market that’s important to them.”
Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said the end of the Wright Amendment will be like unclogging an artery for air travel in North Texas.
“It’s huge; it’s seismic,” Hawkins said. “It’s going to change our entire route map of options, especially for people here in North Texas.”
The first group of Southwest flights from Love Field will begin Oct. 13, with nonstop service to Baltimore/Washington, Chicago Midway, Denver, Las Vegas and Orlando.
A second set of flights will kick off Nov. 2 and include Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Nashville, Tenn., New York LaGuardia, Phoenix, Orange County, Cal., San Diego, Tampa and Washington Reagan National.
Southwest has yet to release specifics regarding the Dallas flight to ECP, but Hawkins said he does not believe it will be seasonal like many of the airline’s other flights out of Panama City Beach.
“Texas traffic might not necessarily be seasonal,” Hawkins said, noting the airline’s year-round service to Houston out of Bay County has been successful.
“If you talk to anyone at the (TDC) there, they’ll tell you that North Texas is one of their strongest markets that does not have nonstop, commercial jet service on bigger planes,” Hawkins said. “But what’s unique about Northwest Florida is its still a drive market from Dallas and Houston, so we are still competing with the automobile.”
Eyed for years
Dallas as a drive market has been on the TDC’s radar for several years.
“Panama City Beach is still primarily a drive market,” Rowe said. “Flying is increasing, but we still need that base of business that drives here.”
Susan Estler, vice president of marketing for the TDC’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Dallas has emerged as one of the newest marketing areas for the agency in the last few years.
As a result of the recent Southwest announcement, Estler said CVB representatives will conduct “media missions” in Houston and Dallas next month to try and spread the word about Panama City Beach.
“I think as we continue to push the message out … we’re becoming a great alternative, a great fit for the Dallas and Houston markets,” Estler said, noting campaigns ready for radio and television advertising in Dallas for the spring, summer and fall seasons.
The reach is not as great in Houston, however, a market that is out of the agency’s advertising price range.
“We do have them included in our digital plan, but for traditional radio and TV, the cost is very high in Houston,” Estler said. “We have to be strategic about the best way to reach those people.”
The TDC also sets dollars aside for marketing in destinations where Southwest Airlines flies direct, something Rowe said also has helped increase exposure.
“We’ve heard anecdotally from our [lodging] partners on the beach that they’re seeing an increase in Texas business,” Rowe said, noting a lack of available funding to advertise in Texas before 2010. “Up until that point in time, it was not a key market.”
Rowe said the goal is to bring new visitors because TDC-funded visitor surveys have shown high repeat visitation in Panama City Beach.
“We just made TripAdvisor’s Top 25 beaches in the country, and we’re always recognized as a top beach destination,” Rowe said. “We have a great product, and now we have a great product that people in Dallas are going to be able to fly to in an hour and a half. We’re a world-class beach that is close at hand.”