The latest tourism numbers show Florida’s Historic Coast has registered an impressive gain in visitors for both the month of September and for the just-ended fiscal year. In fact, visitation to the area was far ahead of the average for the State of Florida as a whole.

“The data confirm the success of the work we’ve done to insure the continued growth of tourism on Florida’s Historic Coast,” said Richard Goldman, executive director of the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau. “Our marketing efforts over the past year, combined with great events, attractions and outstanding accommodations, have resulted in positive, measurable results – results we hope will continue into the future.”

Goldman said that for the fiscal year (October 1, 2011 – September 30, 2012), occupancy of Florida’s Historic Coast accommodations was up 4.2 percent over the previous year – significantly higher than the 3.3 per cent increase registered for the entire state during the same period. For September, occupancy here was up 6.7 percent over September 2011. The average daily rate for accommodations increased 4.6 percent for the year – just slightly ahead of the 4.3 percent increase recorded statewide. The increase in revenue per available room was particularly impressive – up 9 percent for the year, well ahead of the 7.7 percent increase registered for the Sunshine State. Especially encouraging was the 9.8 percent increase is room revenue for September and an overall 9 percent increase for the entire year.

The upcoming Nights of Lights, selected last year by National Geographic as one of the Top Ten holiday light displays in the world, should further stimulate visitation to the area. The Nights of Lights, combined with 500th Anniversary of Florida events, including an impressive Picasso exhibit opening in February in St. Augustine, will hopefully insure the tourism future of Florida’s Historic Coast will be as bright as the nearly three million lights that will twinkle in St. Augustine’s historic district from November 17 through January 31.

Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida’s Historic Coast features historic St. Augustine, the outstanding golf and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra, 42 miles of pristine Atlantic beaches – the same beaches that greeted Ponce de Leon on his historic 1513 discovery of the land he named La Florida.

For more information on events, activities, holiday getaways and vacation opportunities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau website at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com.

Source: Visitors and Convention Bureau