Gulf Coast excited for 'great tourism season'

BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WALA) - With spring only a couple weeks away, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are looking ahead to another great tourist season at the beach. According to officials, preliminarily bookings are up already over last year’s record breaking numbers.

The few visitors at the beach Thursday, March 07 got a glorious reception. It was a great day for fishing, sightseeing or just playing in the sand.  There were plenty of wide open spaces, but that will soon change. Herb Malone with the Gulf Shores Orange Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau said all indications are that this year could be even better than last year.

“We’ve had a very strong snowbird season. (We're) starting to transition into our spring break season,” Malone said. “We expect it to start kicking into high gear this next week; and from everything I’m hearing from the lodging people and other activities, it’s going to be a great spring.”

Malone said reservations for rentals and hotels for this spring and summer are already up over last year. This has hotel and rental agents like Barbara Walters, general manager of Island House Hotel in Orange Beach excited.

“For March of last year versus March of this year and March last year was great, but we’re way ahead right now for March and what is this March 7,” Walters excitedly said.

Dredging continues just off the beach in Gulf Shores as the beach re-nourishment project continues to move east toward Perdido Key.  It’s been going on for several months, but should be wrapping up soon.  A major goal for the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach was to have the project finished on the public beach areas before spring break.  That’s been accomplished, but Malone said it’s not just government entities that are re-investing in the community.

“Fortunately, the majority of our businesses here are locally owned, family owned businesses…some of them from multi-generations that have owned them.  Those people re-invest all their money right back into this community,” Malone explained.

Island House Hotel is a prime example of that. It built a brand new conference center that’s only been open two weeks, but has been steadily booked.  The Hangout is making more improvements to offer a better experience to its customers.  Re-investment is something it firmly believes in.

“It’s important. It’s just like buying American made,” said Director of Operations at The Hangout Brad Cohen.  “It’s important for us to spend in Alabama and re-invest in Alabama and it works out very well for everybody.”

You might say what’s good for the goose is good for the gander and right now there’s no end in sight for the upward trend. 

Baldwin County schools will go on break later this month and several universities will go on spring break starting next week. Crowds of breakers are expected through April.