The Panama City Beach Tourist Development Council has announced that a record tourism development tax collection for the month of September indicates not just a record number of visitors for the month, but also for the entire year!
The collection for September was an increase of 26.6 percent over the same month in 2014. For the year itself (beginning in October 2014), Panama City Beach bed tax collection increased an average of 10.9 percent overall for the entire year.
This only solidifies the notion that Panama City Beach is embraced as a full year-round vacation destination, with family-friendly events offered all year and during every season.
Other highlight months for Panama City Beach over the past year include October 2014 (up 23 percent), February 2015 (up 18 percent), and April 2015 (up 17 percent) – all traditional shoulder season months that experienced incredible growth compared to the previous year\’s same month collection.
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Family-friendly events including the Pirates of the High Seas Festival, the Panama City Beach Mardi Gras and Music Festival, Gulf Coast Jam, and the Seabreeze Jazz Festival continue to add incentive for visitors to return to the destination multiple times throughout the year. Renovations and expansions of accommodations and attractions have also attributed to the destination\’s popularity among travelers.
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 hotel 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 re-nourishment.
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