With snowbird season starting, Floridians will start to notice an increase in traffic and population due to the arrival of people from northern states.
Snowbirds fall into two categories: tourists who come for vacation and seasonal residents who stay only during the winter.
Florida expects a large sum of visitors during the winter season. Residents will start to notice it’s harder to find parking spaces at the beach, local businesses, the Naples Zoo, and other attractions locals enjoy. It will also be more difficult to get into your favorite restaurants.
“When it takes me longer to get to work,” English teacher Melissa Sexton stated. “That’s when I know it’s season.”
Visitors to Florida help provide more jobs for local Floridians, and bring money to the state. The sales tax revenue from visiting snowbirds’ purchases help fund local public facilities, such as beach re-nourishment, local parks, and schools.
“Snowbirds help our economy, they help local businesses, like restaurants,” freshman Sophia Howard states, “They help supply local resources.”
Locals typically think of snowbirds as older retirees who wish to avoid the snow and cold, but don’t want to give up their house, family, and community, in their home states. Another sign of snowbird season, are the many car carriers, also known as tractor-trailers that haul snowbirds’ personal automobiles, which allow them to fly down and still have their cars.
Easter usually signals the end of snowbird season. While it can be an annoyance for a few months, the benefit to the economy cannot be ignored. When you start getting frustrated with the increased number of people, just remember the opportunities and benefits the snowbirds bring, and stay alert while out on the roads.
