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.

Needed a place to go over the holiday weekend? If you’re located in the South, Destin was one popular destination for the July 4th weekend. However, more traffic to Destin is a growing trend that has started at the beginning of 2009. As many articles regarding hotels and rentals in Destin can tell you, many factors have contributed to Destin becoming a more popular vacation location this year than in previous years. In fact, a recent poll done by PriceLine.com shows that Destin ranks in the top 50 vacation destinations in the US. This particular poll was based upon 30,000 or more hotel booking requests through Price Line, and, based on this information, Destin came in 38th out of 50 popular vacation spots.

Although the July 4th weekend is no exception compared to the rental trends seen in 2009, the overall traffic for the holiday went up, according to sources in the following articles, in comparison to a year ago. Most of the traffic to Destin has been from metropolitan areas that are roughly four to five hours away, including Southern cities like New Orleans and Birmingham, AL.

What are some of the factors contributing to this? Previous posts have covered the increased traffic and promotion of the area, but one of the primary factors is that people still want to take a vacation during the year. Gas prices have gone down since a year ago, although air prices have gone up somewhat, and taking a vacation can be done with a car. Destin hotels, resorts, and restaurants have also been doing deals to attract people to spend a few days at the beach. The beach, in addition, is the primary draw of Destin and, even with its white sands and emerald-green waters, going to the beach is free and other activities, such as golf, are cheaper. With financially-accessible hotels and rental properties, package deals for area activities, and a beautiful beach, what else is there to not want to visit Destin?

How has Destin been able to increase in traffic since the start of 2009? One option might be local promotion, according to a news item on EmeraldCoast.com about a Tallahassee television program. The television program, called Destination Destin is broadcast on WTXL, a station in Tallahassee. According to the news item, the vice president of WTXL traveled to Destin with his family and was enamored with the beaches and surrounding community of Destin and other Emerald Coast towns.

The television program focuses on news in the area to inform those in Tallahassee about all of the great aspects of Destin – beaches and entertainment options, both. The program, which goes live into Sandestin, reviews and promotes the beaches in the area, as well as dining, shopping, and entertainment options for visitors. The show has been on the air for about a month.

When promoting your community, one option for getting the word out is by word of mouth, and that’s essentially what the vice president of WTXL has been doing for Destin. But, rather than tell others that Destin “is really just a great place” when Florida has a number of vacation destinations, he provides the visuals and commentary by broadcasting the show live.

The popular vacation destination in 2009 has been the “staycation,” with people staying at home or going to close by destinations and, at the same time, Destin’s rental industry has increased to accommodate the amount of traffic it has been getting. With locals, and people from nearby states, wanting to take a vacation that is only a car trip away, a beach community like Destin is a sensible option. And, as in the case of the article, what turned out to be a simple car trip for the vice president of WTXL to Destin resulted in a television program telling all residents of Tallahassee and surrounding towns about Destin.