PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla., (Feb. 20, 2007) – By air, land or sea – travelers will find much that’s new in one of Florida’s premier destinations, Panama City Beach.

“This is a time of dramatic transformation for us,” says Bob Warren, president and CEO of the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The development of our proposed new airport brings tremendous benefits – including better service and more competitive fares -- to travelers who make Panama City Beach their destination of choice.”

“Room inventory is expected to reach an all-time high of 28,000 by year-end, with the opening of spectacular beachfront properties,” Warren continues. “Once here, visitors will find much to do, including exciting new shopping, dining and entertainment venues.”

Proposed New Airport Signals Easy Access, Better Fares

This fall, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) approved the relocation of the Panama City – Bay County International Airport to the destination’s West Bay. Now on the horizon: A proposed new and larger airport is slated to open in late 2009.

“The FAA’s action will facilitate travel here from all major domestic markets for vacations, meetings and conventions,” Warren notes. “Panama City Beach will become easily accessible from the United Kingdom, Germany and Mexico as well.”

The new airport design calls for a 100,000-square-foot facility that showcases the destination’s natural beauty, while preserving its ecological integrity. Rooftop louvers will admit sunlight, and floor-to-ceiling windows will provide views from 90 percent of the interior space. An interior courtyard, separated by glass, also will bring views of nature into the terminal.

In addition to an enhanced airport, the plan aims to preserve tens of thousands of acres of land along the West Bay. The proposed nature sanctuary will provide permanent protection for the area’s water quality, biodiversity and scenic beauty. What’s more, travelers and locals will enjoy large expanses for hiking, fishing and bird watching.

New Properties Change Landscape

Whether flying or driving to Panama City Beach, visitors will find plenty of places to stay. “Panama City Beach is experiencing tremendous growth and development,” Warren
points out. “The destination has 19 recently completed resort and condominium projects, with 17 more now underway. By the beginning of 2008, our inventory will have grown to an all-time high of more than 28,000 rooms.”

He adds that if all the planned projects reach completion, the destination will have an inventory of more than 38,000 accommodations by 2010.

Accommodations are available to fit all budgets, including cozy beach cottages, church retreats, campgrounds, RV parks, resorts and luxury condominiums with multiple bedrooms, gourmet kitchens and wrap-around balconies offering stunning views of the Gulf of Mexico. Here are the properties that are new or soon-to-come.

2006 Property Openings
5,477 units added
Calypso Towers - 190 units
Emerald Beach Resort - 1,715 units
Emerald Cove Villas - 300 units
Hibiscus By the Bay II - 140 units
Laketown Wharf - 800 units
LaQuinta Inn - 86 units
Majestic Beach Towers (Stage 2) - 194 units
Seychelles Condos - 199 units
Shores of Panama - 732 units
Splash Resort - 275 units
Sunrise Beach Condominiums - 213 units
Tidewater Beach Condominiums - 570 units
Ocean Ritz - 63 units

2007 Property Openings and Projects Underway
8,010 units added
Aqua - 233 Units
Island Reserve - 299 Units
Grand Panama Beach Resort - 967 Units
Grand Residents by Marriott at Bay Point - 65 Units
Laketown Wharf - 800 Units
Magnolia Bay Club - 98 Units
Ocean Reef Condominiums - 161 Units
Splash Resort - 360 Units
Tradewinds Resort - 372 Units
Wind Drift Beach Resort - 165 Units
Plazzo - 136 Units
Tidewater Beach Condominiums - 540 Units
Cabana Cay - 608 Units
Emerald Shores - 31 Units
Sterling Breeze - 145 Units
Towne of Seahaven - 2900 Units
Tropic Winds - 130 Units

Pier Park Adds to Offerings

Shopping, dining and entertainment are all within easy reach at the new Pier Park. This 900,000 square-foot retail and entertainment complex, developed by the Simon Property Group, sits on 93 acres in the heart of Panama City Beach, across from the City Pier. Now open: Starbucks, Target and a myriad of specialty shops.

When completed, Pier Park will house an anchor 125,000 square-foot Dillard’s, offering upscale and contemporary fashion apparel and home furnishings. Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville will serve up great food and great fun in the ultimate tropical setting. After dinner, the restaurant will transform into a nightclub for dancing and performances by live bands. For rejuvenation, ULTA Cosmetics will combine a vast selection of leading international cosmetics, fragrances, and skin and hair care products with a full-service, in-store salon.

The Grand 16 Theatre at Pier Park, scheduled to open in May 2007, will have a 16-screen, 3,000-seat movie theater complex. Travelers and locals will enjoy digital sound, three concession areas, a specialty café and a game room.

Additionally, Pier Park will offer a mix of popular local and national retailers and restaurants, including: Old Navy, Ron Jon Surf Shop, Panera Bread, Calabria’s Italian Grill, and more. From the Park’s stylish open-air restaurants and eateries, diners will enjoy cool ocean breezes and spectacular Gulf views.

Powerful Exhibit To Debut

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition will make its stop in Panama City, May 25 – Sept. 3, at the Visual Arts Center of Northwest Florida. Hundreds of artifacts recovered from the wreck site will tell the story of the sinking of the ship of dreams. On a quiet April night in 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank slowly into the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. On board were 2,228 passengers -- titans of commerce, artists, political leaders, immigrants, mothers, fathers and children. In the exhibit, a suitcase, a felt hat, a ship whistle, a porthole, glassware bearing the logo of the elite White Star Line and more offer powerful emotional connections to lives that ended or changed forever.

These objects were recovered from the cruise ship’s final resting place 12,500 feet beneath the ocean’s surface. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is presented by RMS Titanic, Inc., the sole owner of the rights to the wreck. The company has conducted nine research and recovery expeditions to the wreck site. During the past ten years, more than 15 million people have seen this exhibit in major museums and exhibition halls worldwide.

Beach Gets Wider, Brighter

Panama City Beach’s main attraction – the beach itself – boasts billions of cubic yards of dazzling, new sand. Last spring, the destination completed a U.S Army Corp. of Engineers beach renourishment project – Florida’s longest continuous beach restoration. The $23.5 million project elevated and widened a 16.5-mile stretch of beach by an average of 30 feet. Besides beautifying the shoreline, the renourishment provides critical storm protection.

In a destination known as “the world’s whitest beach,” not just any sand was acceptable. In fact, sand was dredged from “borrow areas” deep beneath the Gulf of Mexico and checked against the Munsell Soil Color Chart to assure the grains were the whitest of the white.

“Today, travelers are seeing the most glorious beach the destination has had in years,” Warren notes. “The beach is our #1 attraction, and we’re committed to keeping it beautiful. In addition to the renourishment project, Panama City Beach spent approximately $500,000 last year alone to groom and maintain the pristine shoreline.”

New Attractions Make Splash

Aside from sunning and swimming, families find much to do in Panama City Beach. At Gulf World Marine Park, for instance, the Xtreme High Dive Show will feature world-class professional divers this summer, from Memorial Day – Labor Day, in precision, Olympic-style performances. Back on the ground, the new Reptile Show also amazes, with snakes, lizards and other creatures that creep and crawl. This hands-on, educational show invites families to get up close and personal with a six-foot python and other leathery friends. Not to be outdone are the dolphins that perform in the state-of-the-art Dolphin Stadium. Visitors can learn about conservation before getting into the water to swim with a dolphin. Other Gulf World headliners include penguins, sea lions and exotic birds.

New offerings delight elsewhere in Panama City Beach. At ZooWorld Zoological & Botanical Park, the new Parrots of the World show features rare, twin performances by brightly colored parrots and macaws. ZooWorld is home to Bengal tigers, snow leopards, monkeys, alligators, camels, bears, as well as more than 275 exotic and endangered animals, all in a lush, tropical setting.

Not far away, Coconut Creek Family Fun Park, entertains with miniature golf and the renovated Gran Maze. Approximating the size of a football field, this human maze takes families on an imaginative journey through the Pacific Islands. Meanwhile at Shipwreck Island Waterpark, little ones delight in the Tad Pole Hole, while older children and parents enjoy thrills and spills on the Zume Flume and White Knuckle River and other rides.

Restaurants Premiere

New restaurants are part of the fun too. Bonefish Grill and Carrabba’s Italian Grill opened in Panama City Beach last summer and fall. Other restaurants to confirm plans to open here include Ruth’s Chris Steak House as well as Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Calabria’s Italian Grill and other Pier Park restaurants and eateries.

Another newcomer, BY THE SEA RESORTS’ The Barefoot Beach Club, is slated to open this winter. The beachfront restaurant will serve up fresh seafood and sunshine from its open-air deck. Seating approximately 115 people, The Barefoot Beach Club will treat diners to casual coastal décor framed by stunning views of sand and sea. More good news is the restaurant’s beach-friendly policy of no-shoes-required.

New Roads Put It All In Easy Reach

Getting to and around Panama City Beach is easier now too, thanks to new roadways. The Hathaway Bridge boasts a $86-million renovation. A flyover, completed last summer, connects the Bridge to major beaches, attractions and thoroughfares. New, four-lane highways add to the ease of getting around this premier Florida destination.

Sports Venue Draws Year-Round Visitors

Sports fans come year-round to Panama City Beach for baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, cheerleading, gymnastics, marathons, triathlons, water sports and more. The most popular venue, Frank Brown Park, has a new $6-million state-of-the-art aquatic center. Offerings include a 50-meter, Olympic-size outdoor pool; splash pool with play features; concessions, and classrooms. This year, Frank Brown will host such major events as the World Softball League North American Championship and the United States Fastpitch Association A&B World Series.

Dedicating more than 200 acres to outdoor recreation, Frank Brown Park, treats travelers and locals to a 22-acre festival site, 1.5 miles of wooded jogging and biking trails, nine full-size baseball/softball diamonds designed for tournament-level play, five lighted soccer fields, four multi-purpose football fields, two lighted T-ball fields, a lighted basketball court, 2.5-mile jogging track, tennis courts, shuffle-board courts, playground, picnic areas, fishing lake and pier, and more. Dogs romp here too in their own fenced play area.

About Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach boasts 27 miles of silky, white-sand beaches bordering the clear, emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay. The Northwest Florida destination was cited as one of America’s Most Beautiful Beaches by Condé Nast Traveler, 2006. Additional recognition as a top beach destination comes from The Travel Channel, USA Today, Southern Living, Dr. Beach and the Clean Beaches Council. Family attractions, championship golf courses, sporting events, award-winning dining, predictably sunny weather and a vast number of recreational activities draw visitors to this seaside destination annually. For more information, call 1-800-PCBEACH (850-233-5070) or visit www.thebeachloversbeach.com.