PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla., December 5, 2016 – Visit Panama City Beach and the Bay County Tourist Development Council announce an increase in tourism development tax collections for Panama City Beach during October 2016. Collections were up 25.77 percent for the month of October compared to the previous year, at $1.4 million, indicating a record number of monthly visitors.
“October is the start of our fiscal calendar and I congratulate the entire Bay County tourism community on these outstanding results to kick off the new year,” shares Visit Panama City Beach President and CEO Dan Rowe. “Traditionally a shoulder-season month, great weather and creative event programming including the Pirates of the High Seas Fest led to a record-breaking month.”
While already on pace for a record-breaking October, Panama City Beach also welcomed many visitors and residents from areas displaced by Hurricane Matthew evacuation orders during the October 7thweekend.
Visit Panama City Beach is currently in the heart of the Beach Home for the Holidays promotion encouraging families to spend the festive season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s in the destination. Free musical entertainment, bonfires with s’mores and hot chocolate, and culminating with the annual Beach Ball Drop at 8pm and midnight are among the highlights.
The Tourist Development Tax is a five percent bed tax that is collected from a special taxing jurisdiction within Bay County on short-term vacation rentals including hotels and condominiums. It is the most accurate gauge to estimate destination visitation numbers. The tax funds the marketing and promotional activities performed by the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. It is also used for beach cleaning and grooming, product improvement and beach renourishment.
For more information on Panama City Beach visit www.visitpanamacitybeach.com or the Bay County Clerk site https://tdc.baycoclerk.com/TouristTax/ to learn more about the bed tax.
About Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach is situated on 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering clear, emerald-green waters where the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrew Bay converge. With 320 days of sunshine annually and attractions such as St. Andrews State Park and Pier Park, the region has long been favored by travelers seeking an affordable beach vacation with year-round offerings for families, couples, groups and adventure-seekers. These include championship golf courses, spas, sporting events, award-winning dining and diverse recreational activities. In addition, Panama City Beach’s Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport offers non-stop flights on Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. For more information, call 850-233-5070 or visit the official website of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau athttp://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com. Live HD video of the world-famous beach is now available at http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/webcam/. Stay connected with Panama City Beach on Twitter (@Visit_PCB) and Facebook