Summer 2014 brought tourists flocking to area beaches in record numbers, and those familiar with the industry say this year is shaping up to be another stellar year.
“We are on track for our fourth consecutive benchmark year,” said Kim Hufham, president of the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau. Room occupancy taxes, which help measure tourism activity, were strong even early in the year, she said.
A better economy and lower gas prices than last summer are expected to help drive business, Hufham said.
Hotel operators and rental agencies are reporting brisk advanced sales, she said. Because of the region’s favorable climate, tourists began venturing to the beaches on weekends during the spring.
Although Memorial Day weekend officially kicks off the summer tourism season, Wrightsville Beach has already seen the number of visitors increasing. Last weekend’s ideal spring weather brought both local and out-of-town visitors to the beach.
“Every parking spot was taken by noon,” said town manager Tim Owens. It won’t get any better.
People in the tourism business have no reason to expect the rest of the summer will be any different.
“We are close to being sold out this weekend, and we expect to be full” by the time the weekend arrives, said Whitney Spratt, director of sales for the Blockade Runner Beach Resort at Wrightsville Beach.
Looking ahead, bookings are solid, she said. Reservations for July, historically the best month, are building up, she said.
“All the numbers look strong compared to previous years. Last year was strong, and there is no indication this year will be any different,” she said.
Rental agents report the same level of activity. Intracoastal Realty, which manages 200 condominiums and houses at Wrightsville Beach, is approaching full booking for the Memorial Day weekend and is also filling up for the prime summer weeks in late June, all of July and the first two weeks of August, said rental manager Luke Waddell.
Overall, booked revenue is quite a bit higher than 2014, which was also an exceptional year, he said.
“People are spending more money,” Waddell said.
After a dip in tourism during and just following the recession, visitors are again spending money in the Wilmington area. The visitors bureau reports room tax collections in New Hanover County in 2014 were $5.025 million, a 10.9 percent increase over the previous year.
Collections through March, the most recent available, were nearly 12 percent higher than the first quarter of 2014.
While accommodations are filling up, Wrightsville Beach officials are getting ready for a typically hectic season. Traffic will increase dramatically, as will the need for police patrols and other services, such as trash collection along the beach strand.
The police department will be staffed to increase patrols Thursday through Sunday, Owens said. An officer and wildlife officer also will be patrolling the beach strand.
Meanwhile, lifeguard stands are already in place, and they will be staffed for the summer beginning Friday. The town has about 30 lifeguards and 13 stands, which will be staffed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Labor Day.
And that parking that’s at a premium? That’ll be $2.50 an hour. Daily and weekly passes also are available for those planning to park longer than a few hours.
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