According to the Wall Street Journal, the oil spill has hurt tourism so apparently spring breakers are better than empty beaches. All over the Gulf Coast, vacation communities hurt by the oil spill see spring break as critical to reviving their economies and kickstarting tourism before the important summer season . Panama City Beach tourism officials have held promotional events at coffee shops near the campuses of the University of Chicago, the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and Ohio State University, offering attendees Panama City Beach-embossed T-shirts, coolers and koozies (those insulated sleeves that keep your soda or beer cold) and raffling off prizes including Southwest Airlines gift cards.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Spring break is the third biggest tourism month for Panama City Beach, after June and July. The city typically brings in $101 million during March. In recent years, about 300,000 students have descended on its beaches, clubs and bars during spring break.
Is this gift enough to get college students to go to Panama City?
Spring Break has always been an interesting event to Duffka. Viacom, owner of MTV, receives $200,000 from a lucky town each year to host their Spring Break bonanza hosted by societal antagonist Jerry Springer.
This year Duffka will consider easy Spring Break choices like Chicago, Glenview, and home to celebrate the "readying of the fields." Which, after all, is why we have a spring break anyways. Do you see the word "diet" in the picture below?
Pictures courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.
Usually I spend my spring break at home. Sometimes I travel to visit my relatives in other states. Spring break is great way to reduce student productivity.
ReplyDeleteThe whole concept of what the Panama city beach tourism officials are doing is good, but I think that they're going to need to offer better prizes if they want to attract college students.
ReplyDeleteSpring breaks are great for those places because of spring breakers. Some spring breaks I go to places that thousands of other people go on their spring breaks. Spring breaks are great for enjoying the beginning of spring after a long winter. Overall I don't have a problem with spring breakers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea of spring break, where you just relax and such. Most spring breaks I do the same things I do in the weekends, except this year I'll be visiting my sister again in Virginia. Also, I personally think this advertisement scheme for cities to get people to visit for spring break is a little weird and pathetic. How do you bribe someone with a "koozie"?
ReplyDeleteI think it is a good idea for Spring Break locations to 'advertise' their location to try and increase revenue. Like any competitive market, cities need to get their name out to prospective consumers or students, otherwise they will be hurt by their competitors.
ReplyDeleteSpring break has always been the time of year when you're supposed to be at the beach, drunk, getting tan. I don't think that the oil spill will get in the way of the typical gamepaln for spring break.
ReplyDeleteThis year I'll be having a sober time in Nashville at the Show Choir Nationals competition with The Expressions. Since I'll be inside the entire time I'll most likey have to get an artificial spring break tan.
I almost always go to Florida for SB and I think that SBers are vital to local econs and without tourism certainly helps coastal towns and cities. Look at the Carribean their econs depend on tourism.
ReplyDeleteI don't think spring break this year will be any different than any other year, unfortuantely, I always have softball so I can never go anywhere for vacation
ReplyDeleteSpring break for some is where people act dumb and do stupid things. Spring break for real humans, is baseball everyday, being outside getting sun and more baseball. That's it. Straight up
ReplyDeleteI think that spring break is a good time to get away from school and for students to do what they want whether it be partying or relaxing. I think it is smart for towns to advertise for their towns on spring break but at the same time, t-shirts and bags aren't going to cut it. Students will take free stuff no matter what it is or what it is for. But also this could be the beginning of spring break advertising for years to come.
ReplyDeleteI doubt this plea for tourism is going to be very effective, but I guess you can't blame the cities for trying. They're only trying to stimulate their economies and what's wrong with that? I plan on spending a majority of my spring break in Chicago, at shows, where it's nice and cold, and working, outside, where it's nice and cold.
ReplyDeleteI think that what these citys are doing to advertise spring break is a good idea to try and increase their revenue, but I don't think it will help because people already have their minds set up about not going to places or anything. I belie this spring break will be just like any other one.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to Mexico for spring break and i'm reallyyyyyyyyyy excited. I think that even though the spring breakers are disruptive, the people there think that the revenue spring break brings in outweigh the costs of the loudness and everything. Also some of the events are in TV so that will bring them more tourism for other times throughout the year. I do think it's a good idea to advertise on college campuses though because then the students can see all the options. They are also the main age group that go on spring break.
ReplyDeleteMy family has always gone on spring break since i was little. Now we have sports n such so the whole family can't go so we continue the tradition and go with out friends places. My mom and little brother usually go to California my sister goes to Florida with her friends and I go to Florida with my friends. I couldn't imagine spending time anywhere else over spring break, the mb is definitely greater than the Mc for me.
ReplyDeleteI think this advertising will encourage college students to go to Panama City Beach and other spring break destinations, although many were already planning on going somewhere. Those who have their mind set on not going anywhere will not be swayed, but perhaps those who were considering going somewhere will change their mind.
ReplyDeleteFor the cities that host parties for spring break, it is a great way to increase revenue. For those who go to the parties, it is a waste of money and time. I prefer to spend my spring break at home or with friends, but not at one of those hot spots for spring break. It is nice to decrease productivity once in a while.
ReplyDeleteEveryone on spring break wants to enjoy their time off, which includes going to the beach. I will not be surprised if a large population of tourists go to panama beach, despite the oil spill. It's pretty much a tradition to do for spring break. However, I think the Panama beach officials need to offer better prizes to attract more tourists.
ReplyDeleteI think students should proll go down there, since they need the tourism from the whole oil spill scandal thing. They need th revenue since they're not used to not having people yet, and have not yet accustomed to it and can greatly disturb the economy of nothing happens. But a lot of students in the northern states need some warmth after all of this coldness with the snowstorm and all. I wish i could go somewhere warm, but o don't really mind. It can be chill just staying home with the fam and the bros. As long as i do nothing, I don't mind.
ReplyDeleteSpring break used to mean going somewhere like Florida or a cabin we rent in Wisconsin. But now with baseball, i am not able to go anywhere which is fine with me because we go to Jacksonville Illinois for a baseball tournament and it's a great time. With the advertising that popular spring break attraction sites are doing, i think it will help pull vacationers towards them but still not be as popular as in past years
ReplyDeleteFor my spring break I'll probably stay home and go to gymnastics practice and relax. I'm not really into the whole party scene so I'm okay with that. It's good that cities are using new techniques to get more tourists because it'd be a big boost for their economy.
ReplyDeleteThis spring break my family might be going to Florida. I'm sure the cities that are depending on spring break tourists to bring much needed revenue into their economy. However, since people are still in some financial trouble, I bet a lot let people will be traveling this year
ReplyDeleteI've been to Florida so many times over the past few years that I honestly don't want to go there ever again. I think that people will still go to Florida regardless of the oil spill because for most families it's a tradition.
ReplyDeleteSpring break is important for many people, mostly students wanting a break from academics. But being in a place like Illinois for another week isn't very appealing, so more gifted areas of the world offer more fun for college students, especially the parties they connot have on a regular occasion
ReplyDeleteI'm not complaining about it, but Spring Break is really just another excuse for teachers and students to have a week off. I typically don't go anywhere because I have baseball and I want to get a head start on filling out my tournament bracket. I think people will overlook the oil spill when thinking of their vacation plans.
ReplyDeleteIf businesses want to attract kids to their city for spring break, that is the way to go. Almost all kids look forward to spring break, and many want to travel somewhere else to do it. With these promotions, spring break cities put themselves on the map.
ReplyDeleteI won't really be going anywhere during springb break, hopefully I'll be playing baseball. But I thnk that aces like panama city beach advertising themselves to increase revenue is a good idea. The only problem is, most kids probably have their spring breaks planned, and won't go out of their way to change them. They probably see this "advertisement" as just some free stuff.
ReplyDeleteWhile the original intention of spring break to allow students time to aid their parents in readying the fields is no longer applicable, it still plays a part in the economy, However I am curious as to how much the college students cost the individuals and business owners of the recipient citys with their vandalism, pollution, and waste. While it may end up increasing overall GDP does the gathering of drunken college students with no tests to study for hurt society as a whole?
ReplyDeleteI dont tink a bag and a can holder will be sufficient to get students to attend a not so popular sb location.
ReplyDeleteAfter the oil spill, even though the beaches have been cleaned up, people are still reluctant to visit them. The thought of swimming around in oil doesn't sound too appealing. It's good that they're sponsoring events like MTV o get theublic excited about the Golf Coast again!
ReplyDeleteI find handing out free bags and koozies a futile attempt at attracting college students to a not-so-popular spring break destination. It definitely wouldn't convince me to go out there, I'd rather go somewhere more popular/reliable/desirable than an oil-soaked beach. Usually I relax at home with friends if I don't have a big cross-country or international trip planned.
ReplyDeleteI think that free stuff wont attract spring breakers if it is not a already popular spring break destination.
ReplyDeleteI can see where the cities are going with their promotional campaigns and how desperate they are but over the years all of them had negative attitudes over collage age tourists especially coming in big groups during times like spring break. As a consumer I would not go to any of these cities because of being mistreated before and a back back with a free kozie inside is not enough to compensate. I would much rather spend more and go to places that I usually travel to such as Dominican republic or Europe where there is a lot more hospitality towards tourists. After all who wants to go to an oil soaked beach?
ReplyDeleteI feel that yes, this gift is enough to get students to travel to Panam City. Many will want to visit because all their friends have stuff from there now, and they want to fit in or they don't want to look like a cheapskates for taking a bunch of free stuff for something they know nothing about eg. "Oh, you went to Panama City too?" "No, I just wanted the free bag they were giving out at there promotions at our school." (Note: I do not think this makes them cheap, I just think many students may feel that way about themselves for doing that, or people like Wohlner would call them cheap for doing that).
ReplyDeleteTo answer your other question, yes I did notice the "diet", clearly from a can of diet coke. I wonder if Panama City paid Coca-Cola royalties to use their likeness, or if Coca-Cola paid to have their product be advertised in the kiosks and associated with Panama City. Also, I am quite surprised they didn't try to appeal more to college students and advertise an alcoholic beverage in their city to associate themselves with partying.
When MTV advertises spring break their has to be greaterMB than MC, and an increase in TR. last spring break I went to Cancun and I came back home with all the spring break shirts, ect... By advertising spring break as this crazy week of partying the economy benefits because people are spending and cities are bring in tons of revenue.
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