Spurred on by a massive influx of travelers to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, short-term rental platform Emerald Coast By Owner has expanded their range to cover all 44 miles of Mississippi coastline, listing a range of newly available rental properties. The move arrives at a time when the area, according to journalist Brian Broom, is experiencing a “20-year boom” in tourist traffic.
For more information, visit https://www.emeraldcoastbyowner.com/blog/gulfport-ms-vacation-rentals-price-and-booking-options
This movement away from popular areas like Destin and Panama City Beach is due to a variety of interrelated factors. Most recently, WLOX reports, rising inflation has driven tourists away from destinations with high gas prices, leaving Mississippi—nearly .60 cents lower than the national average according to AAA—at a significant advantage.
Analysis published by regional news outlet The Best Times underscored this point, suggesting that Mississippi is now #2 in terms of vacation affordability, with a cost of living a full 13% below the national average. Hotel costs in the state are also notably lower than those surrounding it, with average rates hovering around $126.
This trend, notably, has made the state's coastline one of the most active destinations for "snowbirds", or off-season visitors, compared to the surrounding area. RetireCoast, for example, highlights the fact that the beaches along Mississippi's coastline are notoriously quiet in the autumn and winter months, making them an ideal destination for fishing retreats and beach hikes, both particularly popular among older demographics.
This combination of high off-season availability and consistent affordability underscores a notable new trend in the travel industry, summed up by Beachball Properties marketing director Brandy Davis, speaking to the Sun Herald. She states, “Our drive-in market, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, is still our bread and butter, but we are getting a new crop of people from as far away as Virginia, Missouri and Ohio.”
This influx of out-of-state and out-of-region travelers does raise concerns about long-term sustainability, however. The Mississippi Business Journal suggests that it now falls upon local governments and industry professionals to redirect investments into new, more modern accommodations and attractions if growth is to continue—an effort in which Emerald Coast By Owner is now actively participating.
About Emerald Coast By Owner
ECYBO is a vacation rental platform designed to connect tourists directly to property owners, serving over 10,000 properties across all Gulf Coast states. Their platform is exclusively home to verified owners, supporting a safe, affordable ecosystem of properties.
To find out more, visit https://www.emeraldcoastbyowner.com/