The State of the Spring Break State
O sunshine, sunshine! Wherefore art thou sunshine?
As you’ve likely noticed if you live anywhere near the East Coast of these fine United States, winter is in full swing. Matter of fact, Boston — YMC’s home base — has already endured 45 inches of snow. And it’s still getting dark before five o’clock. And, oh yeah, it’s cold. So to say that Spring Break can’t get here any faster would be a colossal understatement.
And now that the countdown is officially on, what do we have to look forward this Spring Break as the realities of our ‘new economy’ set in? It may sound surprising, but it’s not all that different than it was in year’s past. In fact, as the exclusive marketing partner of leading Spring Break tour provider StudentCity.com, we have the inside scoop on how Spring Break 2009 is shaping up. So we’re sharing it with you.
First of all, Spring Break is still on. Students are still packing their bags and heading south for sunny escapes. And as of this posting, the top five travel destinations include three international and two domestic hotspots. According to StudentCity, the most popular destinations for American college students in 2009 are:
(1) Panama City Beach, FL
(2) Cancun, MX
(3) Acapulco, MX
(4) South Padre Island, TX
(5) Freeport Bahamas Cruise
Overall, you can see the top five destinations for all American college students in 2009 has remained largely unchanged. By region, though, some interesting trends have emerged over the years. Specifically we’ve noticed that the Mississippi River has become something of a Spring Break territory marker, with schools in the East skewing one way, and those in the West skewing another. Here’s how it tends to break down:
Most popular international destination for students in the North and East: Cancun, MX
Most popular domestic destination for students in the North and East: Panama City Beach, FL
Most popular international destination for students in the South and West: Acapulco, MX for students traveling by air and Mazatlan for students traveling via land
Most popular domestic destination for students in the South and West:: South Padre Island, TX
Another trend we’ve noticed over the years is a peculiar one: our northernmost neighbors in Alaska tend to stay within U.S. borders and head to Big Texas for Spring Break. While another trend is not surprising at all: our island neighbors in Hawaii tend to stay put altogether. Must be that paradise thing or something…
What’s clear is that wallet woes haven’t put the kibosh on students’ dreams of sun, fun and co-eds. In fact, what we’re seeing instead is a smarter Spring Breaker this year. Students have taken advantage of early booking discounts, trying to save where it’s easier to do so. Plans are being altered, with domestic travel on the rise. The throwback roadtrip is back in vogue – even more so now that the price of gas has leveled off. And students are planning to ‘piggy back’ in hotel rooms, as they try to save their money for what they perceive as much more important – nightlife, food and fun. And sunscreen. Lots and lots of sunscreen.
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