Post-pandemic Pensacola Beach is a bustling, budget-friendly vacation destination

While 2020 was historically the year that everyone was stuck at home, 2021 came quick on its heels as a record-breaking year for Pensacola tourism.

There were questions whether that momentum would carry into 2022 once people got over their initial restlessness to travel, however early numbers indicate that Pensacola Beach is on track for yet another successful tourism season.

Visit Pensacola’s quarterly snapshot from January to March of 2022 shows a 20% increase in visitors in comparison to 2021. Some of the key reasons included the reopening of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in 2022, more attraction to Pensacola’s special events and an increase of advertising of the city.

The traffic seems to be heavily regional, as 18% of Pensacola’s visitors were identified to be coming from another part of Florida, followed by Alabama at 11%, then Texas at 6%.

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However, as excited tourists prepare for their annual beach vacation, some family’s budget concerns have also risen with each round of rising gas prices.

Rick Harper, director of the UWF Office of economic development and engagement, doesn't expect the increase to be enough to cancel plans to Pensacola altogether, largely because it's primarily a drivable vacation destination.

“The fact that we’re basically a drive-to market means that we’re going to be the net beneficiary of some of the substitution in the vacation marketplace,” Harper said. “Families that might have considered flying from Chicago to Disney World, they may well find that those tickets are too expensive. And they may instead undertake the day-and-a-half drive to come to Northwest Florida.

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“(They may) avoid the high cost of theme park tickets and stay in, perhaps, not a hotel on the beach, but they might be switching to an Airbnb in town at a lower price that accommodates the whole family.”

Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender was also optimistic that travel to Pensacola will continue despite the increasing cost of fuel.

“For a lot of our area, we’re one gas tank away to get to paradise,” Bender said. “It’s cheaper for a family of three to drive in than to fly.”

Even though people may not be nixing a getaway altogether, Harper added we may see people beginning to cut back on expenses while on their trip, such as making more meals at their short-term vacation rental homes.

Gloria Lemmey, the owner of Pensacola’s Citrus Door Properties — or as she likes to say “chief hospitality enthusiast” — said that 2022 has been an unheard of year for the Pensacola’s vacation rentals.

Lemmey manages about a dozen properties across Pensacola with different settings and themes, providing guests with the choices from a historic home to a breezy beachfront.

“2022 has definitely changed,” Lemmey said. “The influx of AirBNB's and VRBO’s is unprecedented ... the market is flooded with short-term rentals. This is just the latest business model of investment.”

Lemmey said this growth in the market is a positive change for consumers looking to vacation in Pensacola, due to their increase in options.

Shoppers have  the luxury of getting picky with demands for their stay, factoring in amenities such as pool access, walkability, or ocean views that all have the power to make or break a person’s decision to book, she said.

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“Guest experiences have been heightened,” she added.

The shift toward vacation rentals has also allowed for more spur-of-the-moment getaways. Vacations that once would have been booked a year in advance are now getting scheduled a week or 10-days ahead of time.

The last-minute booking flexibility seems to be appealing to visitors, as three in five visitors said they planned to their trip to Pensacola a month or less in advance, according to Visit Pensacola. As the Airbnb industry has continued to surge, hotel occupancy is down by 5% in Pensacola compared to last year.

Despite the tough competition, the growing number of tourists in Pensacola means "there’s enough business for all of us,” Lemmey said.

Commissioner Bender said the city has gained a lot of new tourism from the fact that Florida was one of the first places to open back up when other parts of the country were still on lockdown.

Bender said the city is also now seeing the results of increased advertising for Pensacola, which was able to be done using federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding.

Now, new developments and hotels going up on Pensacola Beach are all aiming to accommodate the rise in tourism, Bender noted.

From a flight standpoint, Air Service Development Manager Erica Grancagnolo said that Pensacola International Airport may reach new heights for the number of air travelers in 2022.

The year 2019 drew about 2.2 million total passengers for both departing and arriving flights, while 2021 ended up surpassing 2019 at 2.4 million.

However, 2022 is on track to beat records, with about 1,021,518 passengers that have come through so far this year and the summer tourism season just starting to reach full steam.

Looking back at previous years, from January through May 2019, the number of air passengers totaled about 921,678. In 2021, passengers in that same time frame fell to 793,164,

Grancagnolo said the airport saw a sudden passenger surge in the summer 2021. This year is showing strong numbers, but in a more normalized trend line.

“We are most certainly expecting a busy summer season,” Grancagnolo said. “Last summer, we really experienced that built-up COVID demand and had to make adjustments.”

Some of the changes made to Pensacola's airport over the past year have helped encourage tourism including, the addition of over 300 new parking spaces and a fresh selection of non-stop flights.

2020 was also a time to play around with the offerings of non-stop flights, since the market was so unpredictable as to where people were traveling anyway.

Now in 2022, the airlines at Pensacola International Airport have now narrowed it down to 19 consistent non-stop flights that are frequently used and well-trafficked.

Vicky Reddish, a Tennessee-based marketing manager for the FloridaPanhandle.com, has written over 20 to 30 Florida travel guides and feels Pensacola is one of the best places to visit if you’re looking to spend on a budget.

Considering the city’s rich history and military connections, she has always found some of the most entertaining parts of her trip to be free.

Events like watching a Blue Angels practice, a historic tour or a trip to the Palafox Market were all ways she would recommend that others explore Pensacola without needing to book an excursion.

“There are really cool things in Pensacola that don’t cost money,” Reddish said. “I totally felt like I got the whole experience, I definitely stuck to a budget and I got to see everything.”

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Tourism still expected to peak in Pensacola Beach despite rising costs