I've been following the ordeal of Joe Francis (Girls Gone Wild) and came across this article about how the leaders of the Panama City area want to do away with spring break:

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/8068289.htm

They complain about less than a half million dollars in extra government services (police and medical) yet Spring Break brings in $170 million tourism dollars.

Sounds like the civic leaders:

1. Are jealous they didn't get to have as much fun during spring break in their day and ...

2. Flunked their math classes. I'll pay less than $500,000 in city services to bring in ten times that in sales and hotel bed tax any day (assuming that taxes are 5-10% of the total incoming tourism dollars).

The talk is of turning Panama City Beach into a family destination. HELLOOOOOOO!!! Destin and Gulf Shores already beat you to it a long time ago.

Panama City Beach will eventually end up like Destin as condos replace hotels and people from around the US and the world with money discover the Emerald Coast.

Until then, tell law enforcement that if they eased up, the costs of law enforcement and arrests might go down. Let the people party and spend the money.

Seems to work for New Orleans and Las Vegas, and the majority of people in Bay County (county Panama City Beach is in) area live across the bridge in Panama City, not in the middle of the beach. Just like the majority of people in New Orleans and Las Vegas live well away from Bourbon St. or the Las Vegas Strip.

I'm pushing 40 (Jimmy Buffett song "A Pirate Looks At 40" will become more real to you all someday) but the day I want to stop a wild party, just shoot me. Most vacation places are family friendly. There has to be a few spots for people to go who want to cut loose.

I know most of you guys are focused and pumped up about springbreak this year and arent even thinking about springbreak in future years but after reading this article I'm wondering if PCB springbreak goes down hill what will take its place (maybe Key West or South Beach)?

If you look at the economic side of this equation, PCB cannot afford to lose Spring Break... The town would lose sooo much money. Not only that, The hotels would lose almost half of their yearly income. The clubs wouldnt be SUPER CLUBS without Spring Break... No one had heard of La Vela until Wild on E!

Panama City Beach needs Spring Break and Spring Break Needs PCB... simple enough

LATER

This just pisses me off.Ive been to springbreak 1 time and it was onyl for 3 nights and this year ill be down for two nights.I was planing on staying a week next year but if things keep going like it seems i guess i wont be doing that,So where do u think the next big springbreak place will be ?Keywest?

Don't get pissed. I didn't post this to get people pissed. By the time they succeed (if they do) you all will be past college.

My post was informational ... and saying that they should NEVER look lightly upon spring break dollars, and they SHOULD lay off you guys.

Take it to the top. PCB should remain the Spring Break capital of the world.

And when you get home ... and the hangover has subsided ... take five minutes out of your life to write a couple of the local area civic leaders mentions in that article.

Tell them that you love visiting Panama City Beach because of your Spring Break memories. And look forward to doing so over many years with friends and family, but not if they want to run everyone out of town.

What they forget is that when we have a good time somewhere, we want to visit again and again and again ... even when college is over.

Spring Break is why so many people know about Panama City Beach. Why? They did spring break there. And 10 years later they brought their family there. Not during Spring Break, but during many other times of the year, visitng 2, 3, and even 4 times a year.

Party it up. Don't sweat it. Read the entire article posted in the above post ... because it noted all the support for Spring Break.

Haha - I've been hearing this story for 10 years now. I wouldn't worry about it.

(whatup Ted?! holla when you're in town!)

I'd bet the story becomes stronger on election years, doesn't it? LOL. Between the people who don't want the new airport and the people who want spring break toned down ... sounds like they almost want tourism to go away.

Won't happen. I could go anywhere and every year or two I make it to PCB and Destin for 7-8 days by choice. I've visited a number of Dr. Beach's top 10 beaches, and your area really has some of the world's most beautiful beaches.

I'll absolutely give you guys a heads-up before I head down your way. Been a while too long since my last visit. The downside of owning a quickly growing company: I have not had a full week off in almost two years.

For the record (for those reading): The people that run Beach TV and Tripsmarter.com really are as cool as this site is. Met some of them, drank with some of them. Next time I'm down, first round for the Tripsmarter gang is on me!

Yes, I have had the opportunity also to hang out with some of the people from tripsmarter and also beach tv, great group of guys who are even cooler in person than they are on the site!! REALLY looking forward to seing you guys again!! Cant wait, 10 days until we leave!!!!! Enjoy

Jason

Thanks guys! Looking forward to it! Always good to drink a few with some friends!

If 2004 hotel and condo bookings are any indication (and they most certainly are), this year is way off. Nobody wants to admit the obvious but Panama city beach will not see the SB crowds it has in the past. Why do you think some of the bigger hotels are dropping their prices?.....huge gaps in availability will prompt this type of change. This is Supply and Demand at its finest. The beach will still be crowded, LaVela will still "party with thousands" but the bottom line will tell the tale & it will never be as profitable as it was in the past.

By the Fall of 2004 there will be thousands of new condos units on the market with a hefty rental price tag, age restrictions & a mean Homeowner's association to make the rules. Believe me, these places will not tolerate SB. If you paid a quarter of a million for a condo would you let a bunch of careless kids live in it for a week or even a day unsupervised? Would you let them run around screaming, "Show your ****" "Show your ****" to the Mrs. , pissing in the bushes & staggering drunk around your multimillion dollar resort. My guess is no!

So unless the Spring Breakers are going to all fit in to the few small hotels that will remain after this transition or become extremely well-mannered (HAH!) I don't see a future for it here.

It was a good run though wasn't it! We will miss all the fun times too. Don't worry Spring Breakers, PCB won't forget all the memories. I'm sure plenty of places will welcome you and your money with open registers,...I mean....arms & turn a blind eye to all the other stuff that goes on.....at least for a while.
Peace .

beachlocal is right. PCB lost over 2000 hotel rooms in the last year. Although they say over 6000 new rooms are being built in their place, these are almost exclusively condo rooms which a). will be much more expensive, and b). will be owned by people reluctant to rent them out to SBers. I expect SB in PCB to tailor off over the next couple of years to a fraction of what is has been.

i just thought i'd post so every1 in 2010 can read this

hahaha!!! and 6 years later I'm only doing my first year.

Sprrrrrrrring brreaaaaaaaaaaaak 2010!!!

I have brought a group of 10+ down to Panama the last 3 years, and this will probably be our last year here.. Concerts suck this year, no MTV, etc. We are looking into South Padre for Spring Break '11.