Visit Panama City Beach and the Bay County Tourist Development Council have announced collections for the month of August 2018 were up 25.4 percent compared to August 2017, and the destination is currently up 10.2 percent for the fiscal year, which began October 2017. Through 11 months, Visit Panama City Beach’s 2018 collections have already surpassed its total collections for 2017.
“With many preschools in our target markets still out of session in August, we have used that month for the last two years to target families with young children, welcoming them to the beach for an end of summer vacation,” said Visit Panama City Beach President and CEO Dan Rowe in a written statement. “For the second straight year, we saw an uptick in visits from young families, as the destination offered deals and packages catered specifically to this demographic.”
This August, Visit Panama City Beach’s public relations team hosted a group of mommy bloggers and their preschool aged children for its Second Annual Preschoolers in Paradise Weekend. The month ended with the annual Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam music festival, drawing country music artists to Frank Brown Park.
The Tourist Development Tax is a five percent tax on short-term rentals including hotels and condominiums. The tax funds marketing and promotional activities led by the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. It is also used for beach cleaning and grooming, product improvement and beach renourishment.
Source: Visit Panama City Beach
Related Stories
Stats: 40% Say Bad Lobby Experience Hurts Brand Perception
Stats: 43% of Travelers Prefer Travel Agents for Air Bookings
Stats: Air Travel Demand Up 6.4% in August
Stats: Convenient Travel Times Top Consideration for Business Travelers