Recession Has Beach Towns Courting Spring Breakers
The New York Times has an interesting article about how many tourist destinations that once frowned on spring breakers are now eagerly courting them. Some of the tourist spots had good reasons for not wanting the college revelers but they now need the business because of the economy.
The Sheraton on Grand Bahama Island, which had stopped taking student groups for the last couple of years, is now working with StudentCity.com, an online student travel agency, and accepting student groups for four-night stays in March for the agency's Bahamas Party Cruise package priced at $589, including taxes and fees.
The Pro Family Spring Break Coalition of Panama City Beach, Fla., which in 2007 put out a press release about its efforts to "fight back against college spring break," has disbanded, though the businesses that made up the group still actively market to families. For the second year in a row the city has teamed up with mtvU, MTV's college network, with two weeks of live performances and undulating student crowds from March 8 to 21.
"We've realized that we need to encourage college students to come but make sure we're not excluding families," said Dan Rowe, president of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Even Daytona Beach, Fla., which continues to market to families rather than students, acknowledged that their business would be welcome. "We're going to try and hold out," said Tangela Boyd, a spokeswoman for the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Of course," she quickly added, "if students came we’re not going to turn them away."
Florida could get a tourism boost with some colleges telling students to avoid Mexico. There's a website about spring break in Daytona here and another here about Ft. Lauderdale.
Spring Breakers be sure to behave yourself now that some of these hotels and restaurants are welcoming you again.
The New York Times has an 
