Posts tagged Sunshine State
Numbers Show Upswing in Visitation to Florida’s Historic Coast
Oct 23rd
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
Floridians select St. Augustine as their favorite city
Jul 2nd
“Just ask a local.” That phrase is widely accepted as the best advice anyone can offer with regard to finding the true story of a destination. So that’s exactly what Public Policy Polling did earlier this month. Renowned for their work in political polling and their ability to pick the “winners,” the folks at Public Policy Polling decided to survey Floridians to determine which city in the Sunshine State was their favorite – and which city they most disliked.
The survey of 642 voters representing all of the state’s geographic regions, ages, political affiliations and races showed that St. Augustine was their favorite Florida city. Although the results may not have been surprising, the margin of victory for the Oldest City was impressive. For example, it was “leagues ahead of the home of Disney World, Orlando” which finished second. In fact, St. Augustine was viewed favorably by 76 percent of the respondents and seen negatively by only five percent. Orlando got a 64 percent favorable and a 13 percent negative. Next came Tampa with a 61 percent favorable and 13 percent unfavorable, followed by Key West which received a 60 percent favorability rating and 12 percent who weren’t that thrilled with the city. Which city finished last? Miami had a 36 percent favorable rating, while 35 percent of Floridians viewed the city negatively.
It is important to note that no one paid Public Policy Polling to conduct the survey. They just wanted to find out what the results would be if they “just asked a local.” Needless to say, when residents of Florida’s Historic Coast are asked their opinion of the survey, the answer is: 100 percent favorable!
