Panama City Beach tourism is booming, despite sluggish state numbers

PANAMA CITY BEACH – Tourism in Panama City Beach is up this year despite a statewide slowdown.

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Information provided by the Convention and Visitors Bureau, also known as Visit PCB, shows that Tourist Development Tax collections increased 13.8% year over year in July. A release from the agency says this followed a 1.7% increase in June and a 0.7% increase in May.

PCB saw this increase as Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing agency, found that tourism fell 1% overall statewide in 2026. TravelMarketNews attributed this to declining Canadian visitors who are upset about trade disputes with the U.S.

That statewide lag hasn’t appeared to hit locally. Visit PCB also points to “experience bookings,” such as charter tours, parasailing, or boat rentals, increasing 50% year over year in the first half of 2026.

“Tourism is thriving in Panama City Beach, and when our team looks at the numbers, we’re thinking of all the local businesses, hospitality workers and residents who make Panama City Beach what it is,” Griff Griffitts, state representative and president of Visit Panama City Beach, said in the news release. “Our ongoing For the Love of PCB campaign gives us an opportunity to share that success with our neighbors and celebrate the community at the heart of our tourism economy.”

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The release also says that Panama City Beach and St Andrews State Park were recently found to be among the nation’s top beaches in Tripadvisor’s 2026 Travelers’ Choice Awards.

Visitors to certain areas of Bay County contribute to a 5% Tourist Development Tax on short-term accommodations. Those funds go toward destination marketing, beach combing and renourishment and other tourism-related services.

Visit PCB reported in a July presentation, the latest available, that $32,527,315 in TDT funds and other revenues had accrued this year.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach tourism is booming, despite sluggish state numbers

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Reporting by Dylan Gentile, Panama City News Herald / The News Herald

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published October 5, 2026 at 5:13 AM.