iStockphoto / eyfoto
Florida used to be the #1 destination in the country for spring breakers but the Sunshine State’s hospitality has been waning for years and comments from a Volusia County sheriff certainly embody that. The sheriff has sent a message to spring breakers to stay way or risk citations.
Volusia County encompasses Daytona Beach which, as a born-and-raised Floridian I feel like I can speak competently on this, if you are going to visit Florida for spring break then Daytona Beach is a bottom tier destination choice. That might’ve been a spring break hotspot in the 80s or in the earliest days of MTV Spring Break but in recent years Daytona Beach is an after thought for many.
That said, there are beaches and it is Florida so many spring breakers show up and this Volusia County sheriff’s message was simple: stay away. The sheriff spoke with reporters, saying he wants to double last year’s number of citations which was over 200.
Sheriff Michael Chitwood said “law enforcement is going to be all over the place. They think we’re playing here, we’re not. We really don’t want you here. To be honest with you, nobody wants you here. They don’t bring any financial benefit here.”
Those are interesting comments from Volusia County which sees around 10 million tourists every year bringing in an economic impact estimated at $5 billion. Of course, much of that is tied to NASCAR but I would truly love to see the data that backs up “there is no economic impact from spring break.”
Do the hotels and resorts think spring break dollars are worthless? The short-term rental owners? The restaurants? Charter fishing captains? Guided kayak tour operators? Bar owners? The buskers playing gigs at bars? Would they all agree that spring breakers have no impact on their bottom dollar?
I might be biased on this subject as I grew up in a restaurant family here in Florida who, like many Floridians, rely on tourism. In fact, tourism accounts for an estimated 10% of Florida’s overall GDP and nearly 10% of all job in Florida are catered toward tourism. But sure, tell people “nobody wants you here” during one of the peak travel seasons. That’s probably a great idea.
For those who would rather not spend their spring break dollars in Daytona Beach where they are evidently not welcome, consider Siesta Key in Sarasota which just got named the #1 beach in the country.
For what it’s worth, Volusia County/Daytona Beach, Florida doesn’t appear on any lists of the most popular spring break destinations for 2025. This year’s hottest destinations include Cancun, Miami Beach, Key West, Siesta Key, South Padre Island, Jamaica, and the other usual suspects.