TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida’s vital tourism industry has left behind its rowdy spring break image amid a post-pandemic surge in the number of tourists who want to relax without people staying around all night.
Now, the state is struggling to avoid images of unruly crowds that often go viral.
Instead of tolerating mass beach gatherings, traffic concerns and underage drinking, more Florida beach areas are taking a tougher crackdown in hopes of jolting hotel occupancy rates in March. And amid a post-COVID tourism boom, the Sunshine State’s out-of-town economic engine depends on an image of fun sun and sand that Florida officials are working feverishly to maintain — especially among spring’s young crowd.
“Spring break is not something we wanted,” said Panama City Beach Police Chief JR Talamantez. “This is something we have to endure.”
The increase in visits to the state — which is expected to reach 143.3 million in 2025, up from its figure of 74 million during the pandemic — has coincided with a shift in travel trends, making Florida a year-round destination. Hotels and local leaders, who faced a sharp decline in business in late March and the summer, now see more travelers in the off-months.
After luxurious beach hotels opened on Fort Lauderdale’s beaches after becoming one of the first cities in the state to crack down on rowdy parties, other destinations are following suit. Hotels, counties and municipalities would like to see a steady return on tourist dollars rather than relying on seasonal incentives and noisy crowds.
In the Panhandle, Panama City Beach is preparing for extreme chaos this weekend and testing out strict new ordinances. The city has banned vacation rentals to anyone under the age of 21, instituted an 8 p.m. curfew for minors and banned beach access. The city has also called for state reinforcements and will have 40 Florida Highway Patrol troopers in town over the next few weekends. Ultimately, city officials say they hope law-abiding young tourists will visit Panama City Beach — but they’re also hoping to send a message that the days of MTV are over.
Similar to the seasonal economy, the budget of the country’s third most populous state depends heavily on tourism. And in the years following the Great Recession of 2008, state lawmakers were faced with deep cuts and drastic measures to stabilize the state budget, some of which are still in place today.
Miami Beach, even further down the Atlantic coast, still has DUI checkpoints and a heavy police presence as part of the ongoing crackdown. The city announced two years ago that it was “severing” its relationship with spring break, instituting a stricter ordinance in 2023 after experiencing two fatal shootings.
But the city has also rolled back some of its austerity measures and instead tried to re-establish itself as a wellness destination for young professionals. This year’s spring break is ultimately a success for Miami Beach, city Commissioner Alex Fernandez said, as the city has begun to reopen and hotels are almost full and arrests are down 24 percent from last year, when the city was still trying to tighten its restrictions.
The crackdown, which local businesses complained caused them to lose customers, required “tremendous political courage,” Fernandez said.
“There is no monetary value to a life lost,” he said. “And besides, the damage these shootings, stabbings and rampages cause to your brand as a destination.”
Along with a decline in arrests in Miami Beach, Miami-Dade hotels have also made more money this year than last, even amid ongoing concerns about travel safety and fuel costs.
“South Florida is up significantly from last year. It’s shocking to all of us,” said Peter Ricci, director of the hospitality and tourism management program at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business. “Between the war, between the gas prices, it’s more than I ever imagined.”
Other seaside towns have questioned their relationship with spring break after encountering social media promoters who advertise “takeover events” or unsanctioned beach parties that often involve alcohol and fights.
City officials in Daytona Beach are questioning the city’s reputation as a spring break hot spot after the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office made 133 arrests in a single weekend this month.
“I have no problem saying we don’t want to be a spring break destination for teenagers or college kids,” Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry said at a City Commission meeting earlier this month.
Despite allegations of racial profiling, the Sheriff’s Office has publicized the names and faces of social media promoters and served them cease and desist letters threatening lawsuits if they host takeovers. The city has also increased fines and announced a temporary emergency curfew for minors in some areas.
And publicizing spring break troublemakers has been a popular tactic: Last year the Walton County Sheriff increased spring break patrols after a group promoted a “takeover” of Panhandle beaches. This year, deputies have posted mugshots on social media of youths arrested on charges such as underage possession of alcohol, as well as messages warning out-of-state revelers about causing trouble.
Local officials say Panama City Beach is also facing increasing problems with high school spring breakers who want to participate in takeover programs. The city experiences an influx of teenagers driving in from nearby states such as Georgia and Alabama, many of whom are unaccompanied – and sometimes armed.
Talamantez, the city’s police chief, said law enforcement had seized a “surprising” number of firearms from underage children during spring break. Armed, unaccompanied minors commit most of the violent crimes during spring break, he said, and may clash with police.
He said, “One person’s defiance turns into 100, 10 turns into 100, and now we’re dealing with a mob of teenagers who feel empowered because they believe they have the numbers on law enforcement presence.”
There’s another reason cities are tiring of young, rowdy crowds: They have less money to spend. Instead of going to high-end restaurants and hotels, teenage spring breakers are “renting a condo for 80 bucks a night” and “eating at McDonald’s,” said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford. He said the young crowd also poses a reputational threat to a city looking to attract family vacations.
FAU’s Ricci said local and state leaders have debated spring break prestige for years. Ricci, who grew up in Broward County, spent decades watching wrestling compete with rowdy young visitors in Fort Lauderdale and nearby Miami. Then, local leaders recently enacted stricter enforcement against underage drinking and drunk driving, as well as heavier restrictions on sometimes violent beach events and other gatherings. Since those moves, Fort Lauderdale’s luxurious oceanfront hotels have arrived, and many properties in Miami are almost booked out for weeks.
Spring break tourists are still choosing Florida, but they’re now competing with adult travelers who spend top dollar on short trips year-round. And hotels survive year-round by relying on a surge in spring vacation revenue before the long summer family vacation season ends.
“We have these all over Fort Lauderdale Beach, and we didn’t have those before,” Ricci said of the new high-end waterfront hotels. “Spring break, short term, high price, high season rates do not justify the five to 10 percent loss in occupancy growth that you might get year round.”
Ricci said spring breakers are filling the high-end hotels that were built after the beach crackdown, but they are also competing with the state’s ongoing historic surge in visitors and residents that began after Gov. Ron DeSantis began lifting health safety restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Business has also increased year-round due to the influx of residents moving here following the pandemic,” Ricci said. He said only a few regional markets are stuck in the seasonal environment. They also include, to a lesser extent, exclusive Naples, and Tallahassee, a non-beach city where hotel occupancy is driven by the 60-day legislative session and the schedules of two state universities.
“Seasonality has really taken over in my lifetime in Florida,” said Ricci, who previously managed a chain of hotels, including a sprawling property five miles north of the state Capitol, surviving on trade association conventions for revenue when students and lawmakers weren’t in town.
“Here in South Florida, they’ve not only eliminated spring breakers in Fort Lauderdale, but they’ve also added properties that have meeting space,” he said.
Monthly industry hotel data provided by Ricci shows average room rates in Miami increased more than 12 percent in January and 6 percent in February compared to last year. These numbers remained strong despite several months of volatile gas prices and delays in travel safety. But such momentum may not last long given rising travel costs and continued economic uncertainty.
“You can keep promoting and moving the needle, but it’s a tough effort to remain the No. 1 visited destination in America,” he said. “But when will the well dry up?”
