This season's trend, thus far.......... (Miami, Naples: foreclosures, credit card, lenders)

[twobums]

I have mentioned this in another thread but here goes... as far as Sanibel, many visitors are here. Streets are packed and so are beaches.

However, it seems that the visitors are here 'on the cheap'. They know someone who knows someone with a condo that has not been rented this season. So, they are paying a minor amount of $$ to stay for a week. Eating out maybe once or twice... that condo has a kitchen after all. Not so many rounds of golf, fishing charters, dolphin cruises, bike rentals, $20 t-shirts etc etc.

Going to the beach every day, with a home made lunch might be the most popular activity.

With that being said, weekends at the golf course are busy,several restaurants are full at peak times and there are plenty of lookers in the shops.

[TANaples]

Yes, in Naples too the traffic is "normal" for snowbird season. However, the restaurants and stores don't seem quite as crowded. Maybe "on the cheap" is true for this year. Also, the temps have been cool and more rain than usual. My snowbird neighbor has been complaining about that.

[tommy-105]

I disagree somewhat about the Naples traffic. This is more an observation of things in general than it is about how the seasons going.

My work in Naples used to involve a lot of driving in the area throughout the day, so I think I have a good "read" on how the traffic should look.

I was down there around 8AM two weeks ago, after not being down there during the daytime since March. I wouldn't expect to see too many snow birds at that time of day of course, but I found the streets to have considerably less cars and a lot less pickup trucks and vans (tradesmen) than I'd become accustomed to.

[yoko]

Originally Posted by twobums

However, it seems that the visitors are here 'on the cheap'.

Excellent post!


"Coupon Tourists", " all you can eat buffet tourists", and "ALDI store types" are kind of tourists I see.

When I read in Forum that a store like ALDI is going to come to Florida, I knew why. They have the right kind of European customers here.

Even though the exchange rate makes everything cheaper for them, "cheap tourists" are not used to spending...They save and save so that they can book another cheap flight to Florida.

It all depends how one defines "vacation" !!

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by yoko

Excellent post!


"Coupon Tourists", " all you can eat buffet tourists", and "ALDI store types" are kind of tourists I see.

When I read in Forum that a store like ALDI is going to come to Florida, I knew why. They have the right kind of European customers here.

Even though the exchange rate makes everything cheaper for them, "cheap tourists" are not used to spending...They save and save so that they can book another cheap flight to Florida.

It all depends how one defines "vacation" !!

Excellent post.

You know, I was thinking about this, though. Lee County has always attracted the more frugal snowbird and to some extent, the more frugal tourist, except less so on Sanibel, especially regarding tourists. But even then, a Sanibel vacation does not necessarily equal blowing huge amounts of money.

Anyway, in the past ten years, and especially from 2003 to 2007, the economy was on a crazy spending binge, and I mean this regarding the entire country. So many folks had cash they shouldn't have and it came from homes used as ATMS and the domino effect from that.

So what I am saying is are we not sure that the tourists and snowbirds are simply acting the way they were always acting?

I can hear you all saying,"But the restaurants used to be packed. And the Home Depot, too."

But wait. How many restaurants and Home Depots and banks and department stores were built in those past ten years?

I just wonder if the only thing that has gone away is the irrational exuberance.

And that isn't necessarily a bad thing. That was a lot of commercial building. Not every store or restaurant is going to stay open. And Las Vegas and New York City aren't reporting better numbers, either.

I don't know. I'm just glad SOME people are showing back up.

[Compression]

I'm thinking somewhere between what TAN and Hik are saying is what's happening right now.

The exuberance is gone, and there is a surplus of businesses and eateries in the area. Much more than the area can continue to support.

The weather has been considerably cooler and wetter than normal.

Add those two factors to the prevailing economic conditions and you have a perfect storm that will deliver the coup de grace for many more small businesses, and jobs that are still hanging on in the area.

I'm hoping that(at least) the weather begins to cooperate a bit as we get later into the season, there's still a little time to make something of this business cycle.

I try to get a feel from everyone I talk too, as to how things are going. Totally unscientific of course, but some responses are surprising. Some that appear to be falling down, say they are doing better. Others, like restaraunts that apper to be quite busy, say they're on the brink, and not sure they'll be here for next season. My theories are.......places like a restaraunt, or other similar fixed retail type business can only cut overhead so far, before even the slightest dip in numbers served starts taking them into negative territory. Service businesses, like my own can cut to the ridiculous, then get a good month or two, and find themselves able to make a go of it a bit longer....this is where the weather is hammering all of the marine industry in the area now. Again, those are just my theories, based on what I observe. Many of the service businesses are running out of places to make cuts(I know I am....)

Some other personal observations recently..........

1)People are out and about, but they're not spending. The better to do, like those on Sanibel, are definatly NOT spending, unless they absolutly NEED something, and only then, when the deal has been discounted heavily. A couple of examples.....

One guy I know decided that the year old mini van he had(with 6,300 miles) wasnt what he wanted, and decided to get a different brand of mini van (new of course). He was perfectly able to take the loss on the year old van, as the brand new one was discounted so heavily.

Another couple, with a 60 foot motor yacht, have decided to severly discount the sales price on it, to facilitate the purchase of the new Prevost RV that they would rather have, again, that has been severely discounted by the manufacturer. So while "things" may be moving, they're only moving in terms of reduced price point.

2)Noticing fewer out of state tags on vehicles this year, with lighter traffic. BUT, perhaps just my imagination, I'm noticing more tags from Quebec than I ever have before, along with more french spoken(and accent) when I hit the local Publix, hardware store, etc. Cant say they're coming from France, or Quebec, just a trend I've noticed.

Yachtcare has seen.......

[twobums]

For what it's worth, there are 2 distinct differences here on Sanibel, between this season & last season.

* there is a plethora of retail space available for rent.
last year, only a few retail spaces were available during high season

* the deals & specials for eating, golf, cruises and shopping are shockingly
awesome
last year, the specials were gone before Christmas

[yoko]

How humble we are in our vision for a better future!


" Hawaii could be the first state where space travelers use rocket planes to get from one place to another. Rather than launching and landing in the same spot, planners envision the planes taking off in one place, traveling through space, then coming down in another, going from the Big Island to Oahu. Within a decade, space travelers could island hop from Hawaii to Japan in 45 minutes.

A new law authorizes the state to spend $500,000 to apply for a spaceport license from the federal government, which is the first step toward allowing commercial space travel from the island.

If the plan goes forward, tourists would pay $200,000 for a weeklong package including spaceflight training, resort accommodations and short test flights to simulate weightlessness."



Sand, surf and stars? Hawaii wants to add space travel to tourist attractions
MARK NIESSE | Associated Press Writer
4:31 AM EDT, July 12, 2009

[Compression]

Originally Posted by yoko

How humble we are in our vision for a better future!
Within a decade, space travelers could island hop from Hawaii to Japan in 45 minutes.

Given the economic realities, in that NASA's budget isnt even being allowed to send some guys back to the moon....... I'd think that "within a decade" part is overly optomistic.

On a related note, the price of tea in China has gone up.......

Yachtcare has spoken.......

[hiknapster]

That's not a Sanibel thing. That's a United States thing and possibly most of the industrialized world.

I could get a great deal on furniture, appliances and electronics last year, and did. I know what I paid and I'm here to tell you that the prices are much better this year.

Originally Posted by twobums

For what it's worth, there are 2 distinct differences here on Sanibel, between this season & last season.

* there is a plethora of retail space available for rent.
last year, only a few retail spaces were available during high season

* the deals & specials for eating, golf, cruises and shopping are shockingly
awesome
last year, the specials were gone before Christmas