By Piper Rutherford | Staff Writer
The purpose of spring break is to escape your school environment, not to go on an expensive trip to a crowded beach in Florida, where everyone in your logic class is also vacationing.
According to The Florida Guidebook, a majority of the 40% of college students who travel for spring break make their way to the Sunshine State.
Not only are these students overwhelming locals by taking over beaches along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, but the harsh reality of spring breakers also brings an increase in crime rates and disturbances to local businesses and nightlife.
The New York Post reported in 2022 that Miami Beach took the initiative to enforce curfews, conduct bag checks for beachgoers, set up DUI checkpoints in outdoor public spaces and close liquor stores by 8 p.m.
More recently, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated in a press release that “Spring Break in Florida this year will not turn into some melee,” following the 488 arrests, 16 stampedes and 105 firearms seized during spring break 2023, as reported on behalf of Miami Beach Chief of Police Wayne Jones.
There are also travel expenses to consider when going to Florida, as many Baylor students prepare to load up their trucks and make the roughly 15-hour drive to the beach, not including stops or overnight stays.
This means that the average traveler going from Texas to Florida will spend nearly two days of the nine-day break driving on the highway, since many students would rather drive to save money than pay for a round-trip plane ticket.
For instance, according to current flight options from Dallas to Panama City provided by Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines, tickets cost anywhere from $200 to $400, which will most likely continue to surge as March approaches when other students are out of school.
As for when they get to their destination in Florida, the cost of a hotel is an additional charge that many Baylor students who are paying tuition cannot reasonably afford.
For example, when looking for rooms in the popular destination of Seaside, Budget Your Trip reported that while the price of individual hotels varies, the average price per night is $256, with a median price of $231.
Therefore, instead of going to the most popular destination in the United States for spring break this year, do yourself a favor and stay away from the crime hotspot while saving your money in the process.
