Oil spill propels Panama City to top budget destination
If there’s a silver lining from the famous BP oil spill, Panama City Beach has named among the top budget destinations this year by AOL Travel.
Coming on the heels of CNN.com travel writers naming the area one of the Top 5 winter vacation spots, the AOL list mingles Panama City Beach with such sites as Cancun, Mexico, New Orleans, and Montreal, Canada.
The AOL rating touts the recent visit by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michele Obama, and the May opening of the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.
“There are lots of hotels with rooms priced at less than $100 a night,” according to AOL travel writer Alison Lowenstein, who gives several examples. Her advice:
“Go now before the annual Spring Break herds arrive.”
The article also notes that although “this Gulf Coast beach town is still trying to recover from the devastating economic impact” from the BP oil spill, the beaches are now oil-free.
Also named in AOL’s Top 10 list were Washington, D.C.; Atlantic City, N.J.; and Athens, Greece.
The AOL listings were not ranked by number, but CNN.com’s Top 5 list put Panama City Beach at No. 3, just behind Costa Rica and Lima, Peru, but ahead of Boston and London/Paris.
Area tourist officials also said Panama City scores well with a large array of dining and entertainment options.
By David Wilkening
David
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