2006-07 Record Year For Tourism In Pensacola Bay Area
Jan 4, 2008
PENSACOLA, Fla. - December 12, 2007 – The Pensacola Bay Area tourism industry is stronger than ever. Lodging revenues were the highest in history at nearly $132 million last fiscal year, from October 2006 to September 2007, with April, June, July and September breaking all-time records. Overall, lodging revenues were up 7 percent over last year. "Our CVB has been engaged in an aggressive marketing plan, and awareness of what our community has to offer is increasing tremendously,” said Ed Schroeder, director of the Pensacola Area CVB and vice president of tourism for the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce. “Visitors experience the best of both worlds — a gorgeous beach and a quaint, historic city. More than 3 million visitors each year are experiencing not just the world's most beautiful beaches, but one of the largest aviation museums in the world, delicious seafood and a multitude of festivals as well as historic, art and cultural attractions.” There was a 29 percent increase in lodging revenues for the third quarter of 2007 compared to the third quarter of 2006. The state of Florida experienced a 4.8 percent increase in the same time period. Not surprisingly, the three summer months accounted for 41 percent of all revenues, adding more than 30,000 bookings compared to the same time period last year. Travel in winter months is also increasing as more visitors are learning about the area"s “secret season,” when they can enjoy mild temperatures at the beach with discounted lodging rates and explore the attractions in town. There are more than 8,000 lodging rooms available in the Pensacola Bay Area, including Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key, downtown Pensacola, and the areas surrounding Naval Air Station Pensacola and Interstate 10. The number of rooms dropped from 10,000 to as low as 4,800 after Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and has continued to rise. Courtyard by Marriott Downtown opened last year with 120 rooms, and the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front recently upgraded from a Hilton Garden Inn, adding 93 rooms. The construction of several new hotels and expansions are currently in the works including Indigo, Embassy Suites, Cambria, Sole Inn and Suites, TownePlace Suites, The Dunes and Days Inn. The Pensacola Bay Area Convention &Visitors Bureau directs the tourism marketing efforts for the Pensacola Bay Area. The tourism industry is one of the top three economic drivers in the area, after military and health care. Last year, the tourism industry represented a total economic impact of $1.2 billion and employed 20,000 local residents.
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