PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – From the economy to the need to create more jobs, Panama City Beach is growing.

The Bay County Tourist Development Council has boasted about the number of tourists who have visited the area and the money they bring with them.

Panama City Beach is known for its great atmosphere and beautiful white sand beaches. That’s why people keep coming back and the area is thriving.

Dan Rowe is executive director of the Bay County Tourist Development Council. He said the area attracts lifelong visitors.

“There’s a loyalty here that I haven’t seen in other tourism destinations around the country,” Rowe said. “We have business year-round. We generate a million dollars in visitor spending on the beach every day.”

Rowe said second-quarter numbers were up about four and a half percent year-over-year and more than 70 percent compared to pre-pandemic numbers.

Officials say events and activities, a strong economy and a commitment to creating more jobs make Panama City Beach a great place to live, work, raise a family and visit.

“We had the Seabreeze Jazz Festival. We had the air show and Thunder Beach. We had Gulf Coast Jam,” Rowe said. “We had the Snap Soccer Tournament, we did a lot of different activities. We had the Ironman 7.3.”

The influx of people caused beach businesses such as Patches Pub on Thomas Drive to flourish.

Emma Bowers is a manager at Patches.

“Business has been great for us so far,” Bowers said. “We have 800 to 1,000 visitors a day.”

Restaurant staff said as the community continues to grow, so will their efforts to provide the best possible service.

“We have award-winning chicken wings, burgers and our Bloody Mary. We have fresh ingredients, all the sauces are homemade, all the ingredients are homemade,” Bowers said. “We have a great staff and lots of TVs so no one misses a game.”

TDC officials said third-quarter figures would be available in the fall.

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