GULF SHORES, AL, July 09, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Emerging from a busy holiday weekend along Alabama's Gulf Coast, tourism and hospitality businesses point to recent successes that are leading to a bright summer forecast along the 32 mile strip of sugar white sand.
"Although Fourth of July is probably most on people's minds, we have seen a steady trend for summer bookings among our guests to Pleasure Island," said Herb Malone, president/CEO of the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Based on a combination of anecdotal evidence and data, the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area remains a value-orientated destination that continues to attract numerous families to the area."
Popular restaurant hotspot LuLu's at Homeport Marina has seen a healthy flow of hungry customers.
"We continue to have a very encouraging year," said Johnny Fisher, general manager. "The Fourth of July weekend was one of our best ever, and we're very optimistic about the rest of the summer. We're seeing lots of repeat business, which is what we strive for. This increased traffic has presented some growth opportunities. We recently added more nightly live music to entertain guests under our outdoor pavilion and the new Sunset Grill, a cafe style alternative to the main restaurant, reminiscent of the old LuLu's."
Along the same lines, Ed Evans, general manager at The Beach Club, saw a busy holiday weekend.
"We even had a record day at our village mercantile shop and came within a few dollars of a record day in our food and beverage outlets," Evans said.
The activity extends into neighboring Orange Beach as Lane Gilbert reported a steady stream of summer traffic into his two restaurants and bakery at The Wharf.
"Both Ginny Lane Bar and Grill and Villaggio Grille are doing really good," Gilbert said. "We are seeing improvements over last year. Once the summer season got going in May, the traffic has continued to increase over the previous summer, and July has started out well. Even our bakery - the Intracoastal Bread and Bottle Company - is seeing a considerable increase in business."
After dining at the local restaurants, filling shopping bags with treasures and enjoying the other activities in the area, guests returned to multitude of different lodging options, which also saw a similar trend that has remained true throughout the summer season.
"Summer business continues to book at a brisk pace with even more last-minute bargain hunters than last year," said Sarah Kuzma, corporate relations director for Meyer Real Estate. "Due to the increased pattern of near-the-arrival-date reservations, it is difficult to compare summer 08 and 09, except to say it appears the final results will be on par with revenue from last summer."
Marie Curren, director of marketing and reservations for Brett/Robinson Vacation Rentals states her company is seeing the same pattern.
"Summer occupancy levels are about the same as last year," she said. "However, our inventory increased by 5 percent since we opened Phoenix West so it is safe to say we are a bit up. July is looking very strong for us, and we are working everyday to keep our numbers competitive to 2008."
As the Alabama Gulf Coast enters the second half of its summer season, local hospitality and tourism businesses are not ready to the close the book on Summer 09 just yet.
"We still have another 5 to 6 weeks to go in our summer season, which is plenty of time for more guests to return to or discover our area for the first time," Malone said. "With a team effort that focuses on the needs of our guests, we remain optimistic."
For more information on the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area, visit http://www.gulfshores.com or http://www.orangebeach.com.
About AL Gulf Coast CVB
The Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) serves as the official destination marketing organization for the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in addition to the unincorporated area of Fort Morgan. To learn more about Alabama's 32 miles of sugar white sand, visit either http://www.gulfshores.com or http://www.orangebeach.com. The CVB is an accredited Destination Marketing Organization, 2008-2012.
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