Vacations Must Go On for Destin Tourists

Most markets are feeling the effects of the faltering economy by now, but tourism in Destin still seems to be running strong. “In the long run, I don’t think people will do anything much different,” said Brad Davis, a former local visiting from Flower Mound, Texas.

The consensus around Destin is that vacationing will remain a priority for families on a tight budget, in spite of the times. The name of the game now is about balance when taking a vacation. “I towed my boat from Texas, so it killed my mileage,” Davis said.

To help offset the expensive gas, Davis said he and his family would be cooking at the condo mostly and limit eating out. With the sheer number of license plates from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi in area parking lots, hideous gas prices do not seem to have affected Destin’s drive-in market.

“We’re still up two percent for the year,” said Darrel Jones, executive director of the Okaloosa Tourist Development Council. Lodging sales support the fact that people’s vacations have not gone on the back burner during hard times. owever, the one noticeable change is that people are booking much closer to their stay — a sign that vacation budget decisions are getting tougher to make.

Gas prices didn’t stop Michael Gant and Joel Barczak of Orange Park from bringing their families to Destin for some down time. “It’s bad, but not bad enough to deter us from going on a much needed and deserved vacation,” Gant said.

Published on Saturday, July 5, 2008