Where does Destin stand in the Florida tourism market? Recently, after the tourism season is over, Destin came in second in terms of driving destinations for vacation trips. Although the article doesn’t mention how it determined how many people were driving to Destin or first-place city Orlando, one trend Destin’s rentals and resorts saw this past summer, as well as from the start of 2009, has been more out-of-state license plates in the area. Although actual resort attractions saw less traffic, especially from locals, rental management companies actually had to increase their offerings to meet the demand.

Locally, most of the traffic to Destin has been drivers from Alabama, Louisiana, and the Florida panhandle, and this hasn’t changed. But, as many can’t afford airfares, driving is a far more economical option. As we saw during the summer, some from even as far as Tallahassee, Florida drove to Destin for a different vacation experience. Destin, in addition, has grown in popularity due to word-of-mouth as an affordable vacation destination. Although travelers from the Northeast and Midwest aren’t the first to think of Destin as a vacation destination, the driving coverage area for Destin appears to have expanded to attract more day trippers.

Accommodations are another factor in attracting people to an area. Many rental companies, such as Five Star Gulf Rentals offer weekend rentals, instead of a whole week at a time, for some properties in desirable locations. Aside from actual properties, many resorts and rental companies also started offering vacation packages in 2009 to get more tourists to come to the area. Although a weekend room and passes to entertainment and dining options might not be airplane-worthy, it’s certainly good enough of a deal to attract those from the immediate area to Destin for a quick and affordable diversion.

Part of this blog is assigned to describing various services for renters in the Gulf Coast area, and this includes general vacation packages to lure people into the area for a few days to a week. But what about Five Star Gulf Rentals’ own services? Various rental companies in Destin, Five Star included, expanded their guest offerings during this past spring and summer, as the rising wave and demand of renters for rental properties has been increasing steadily since the start of 2009. Some companies may offer vacation combination packages, with reduced-price passes, but what about planning your vacation for you?

If you’re planning to use Five Star Gulf Rentals for a summer beachfront property in Destin or South Walton, the vacation package deals the company carries essentially assists with planning your vacation to the Emerald Coast. Destin and other Emerald Coast communities saw an increase of new visitors this summer, including many from outside the New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama area, and if you’re unfamiliar with the area, Five Star can offer recommendations when planning your trip. At this point, why use guide books when locals from the area can give you recommendations?

Some of the more specific services offered in Five Star’s rental arrangements are outlined in the page for Destin rental concierge services. On a basic level, though, this includes arranging and making recommendations for various activities and entertainment around the area, including appointments at spas, golf lessons, and chartered fishing trips. Arranging for dining is another service offered, and this can include basic services like having groceries already in the refrigerator in your rental when you arrive to having a private chef come to your rental to prepare dinner for your family or guests. If you want to explore the culinary offerings of Destin, we can recommend and make arrangements at area restaurants.

One of the issues with renting a property in any beach, Destin and the rest of the Emerald Coast in this case, is getting from the house to the beach. Not every rental property is directly on the beach and, if the rental house isn’t within walking distance of the beach, many drive there. In Destin recently, one issue this past summer – as well as during this past decade in general – has been on the overcrowding of beaches in the summer due to the large amount of renters. Another issue has been vacationers trespassing on private beaches for people who own beach houses all year long. Although some trespassers may not know if the beach is public or private, the mayor of Destin has put into planning a solution for overcrowded Destin beaches.

The solution, according to the article linked above, is to have a trolley line to give renters in Destin accessibility to Henderson Beach state park, a free beach that isn’t experiencing as much traffic as Crystal Beach. Crystal Beach, during recent summers, has experienced overcrowding, as well as vacationers trespassing on beachfront properties, but, being the more convenient beach, locals and renters flock to it. Henderson, which is somewhat out of the way, has experienced less traffic but the trolley line is designed to drive more traffic there.

The other benefit of going to Henderson Beach state park as a renter is that the beach is free. Currently, the price to access Henderson is merely six dollars for parking, but by trolley, going to the beach is free. As Destin is known for its beaches, going to a fully-free beach is one way to make a vacation package even better. The white sands and green water of the Emerald Coast can be found on all beaches in Destin and South Walton, and this trolley idea will be convenient for renters not with a beachfront property and will distribute beach traffic for evenly.