Snowbirds Flock to Panama City Beach!

Panama City Beach, FL - Snowbirds flocking to Panama City Beach? What's this, some new species of duck migrating south? Not exactly. Very simply, Snowbirds are Northern retirees who winter in the warmth of the southern United States. Most of Panama City Beach's "winter residents," as the Snowbirds are also known, come from the Midwest and Canada. And like their feathery namesakes, they're a social bunch.

It was with this simple idea - to provide a social gathering for the many Snowbirds who winter in Panama City Beach - that businesses on the Beach began to cater to this very important and often overlooked group.

"In 1989 we opened Breakers in winter for the first time," Jack Bishop, owner of Breakers restaurant, answers when asked how he became involved in Snowbird activities on the Beach. "Knowing I'm from Michigan, we'd had some of the Michigan and Wisconsin people ask about having a get-together for everyone from a particular state."

It was with this simple idea - to provide a social gathering for the many Snowbirds who winter in Panama City Beach - that businesses on the Beach began to cater to this very important and often overlooked group.

"Now we have up to 7 different state days. It's a social occasion," Jack Bishop, who is also on the Tourist Development Council (TDC), tells us.

"There's another Winter Expo at Edgewater in February, the Beaches Chamber of Commerce is putting it on with the TDC," Jack explains. "All the businesses that cater to the Snowbirds and Senior guests will be there, as well as car dealers and banks and group health providers."

"We're also involved in the Snowbird Winter Resident card with the TDC," Mr. Bishop said. "It's in its second year. Seniors come in, sign up at the visitor info center and get the card, which offers discounts throughout the community. 2200 signed up last year."

Besides the Winter Expo, Edgewater Beach Resort yearly entices Snowbirds with specials geared toward their lifestyle. Their monthly rates include activities programs designed with the winter resident in mind. Another nice touch is a local tram service.

"We're trying to make a focus on the Senior market at this time of year, and we're trying to attract some of the groups that have being going farther south. They can stay here for much less, and there's only an average five degree difference in temperature!" Jack Bishop points out.

The perception that the climate of northwest Florida is dramatically different from the southern part of the state is one of the objections that the TDC and Beach businesses are working to counter.

This part of the Gulf Coast is particularly stunning, with its famous sugar-white sand beaches and emerald-colored Gulf waters. That slight difference in average temperatures means that PCB experiences actual seasons, with a sunny, mild fall and a dry, cool winter, that spills into an early and spectacular spring.

By late January and early February, the Beach is a riot of color as the sub-tropical plants explode into rich blossoms and expansive vegetation. Panama City Beach has many features that recommend it to Snowbirds beyond the weather, of course.

Many Beach restaurants and attractions are extending their service into the winter months, and the area hosts a wide range of festivals during this time. From the Holiday Holly Fair to three Mardi Gras celebrations.

And, unlike south Florida, Panama City Beach is close enough to other parts of the South to make day- and weekend-trips feasible.

All in all, Panama City Beach is the perfect location for our Snowbirds to spend their winter months. The weather, the activities, the hospitality, the easy access to other southern destinations... it all adds up to perfection!