Tourism officials forecast busy summer

GULF SHORES, Ala. (WALA) - State tourism officials were in Gulf Shores Tuesday for the annual Tourism Summit. “The Road to Recovery” was the theme to this year’s conference, and the state has big plans for promoting Alabama’s beaches.

Realtors, leasing agents and property managers packed the Meyer Civic Center, eager to hear what tourism experts forecast for summer travel. What they heard was that consumers are ready to travel again, but extra incentives may be the key to grabbing their attention.

“What the consumer is telling us is that even though they’re more interested in travel, they’re still very cautious about spending,” said Peter Yesawich, a tourism expert from Ypartnership in Orlando.

Leasing agents in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have noticed the trend and are running specials to attract tourists to their units. Marie Curren is Marketing Manager for Brett Robinson Vacations and has been working on special summer promotions.

“In June, if you come in on a Friday, you can get three nights for the price of two, because we’re filling up some of our weekends. And if you come for a five night stay or more, you’re receiving a free night special plus 20 percent on top of that,” Curren said.

Director of Alabama Tourism, Lee Sentell said that Alabama’s beaches are the number one attraction for visitors to our state, which is the reason you’ll see these beaches used in almost all of their marketing.

Most of the state’s print marketing material has an inviting picture of the beach on the covers. Crews will soon begin filming new television commercials that will run across 22 markets - all shot on local beaches. Sentell thinks the commercials will play a key role in bringing customers back.

“I think that by reminding people of how much fun they’ve had in the past, how much they love the beach, they’re going to get people coming back that have been their previous customers,” Sentell said.

He is banking on those customers filling empty chairs and once again enjoying one of Alabama’s greatest treasures.