Travel Predictions for Spring and Summer on Sanibel Island

Making predictions about anything is always a risky business. We know how weathermen have been derided over the centuries for missing the mark and predicting brilliant sunshine when only rain followed. And economists laid end to end can't reach a conclusion on the future of the world's finances.

So we are taking a chance by announcing our version of the Oscars for vacation rentals on Sanibel Island, but we see enough justification to go out on this palm tree limb.

With April being a very confusing month in 2011, the following trends appear to be taking place. Because high season/low season rates on the Island are always tied in with the occurrence of Easter week, this late arrival of Easter has everyone wondering. Typically, low season does not begin until Easter Sunday, in this case April 24. So that least week of April is still high season as are all the weeks preceding it.

Often times, those last 2 weeks in April are after Easter Week, and therefore a low season rate. As a result bookings for both condos and homes are robust. After all, April is arguably the nicest month on the Island with sunny temperatures in the low 80's by day and high 60's by night.

So we are not seeing the great demand for the last 2 weeks of April that we have in the past. As we move closer to the date, we might see more movement with possibly greater flexibility in pricing. That said, what has happened all across the Island and all across the price breaks is that rental guests are recognizing the great opportunity and wonderful value in the booking a week, a month or longer during May. For the first time in years, many of our units are booked for all weeks in May. The nice weather in May combined with a low season rate and the postponement of April vacations is creating a feeding frenzy for vacation rentals in the fifth and merry month of the year.

The same seems to be holding true for June, again a robust month with many more inquiries and bookings than in years past.

So where does that leave the rest of the summer? Most probably in good shape. More and more Europeans are cognizant of Sanibel and Caribbean like flavor it offers at considerably lower prices. While the Caribbean does not do a deep drop in prices from winter to summer months, Sanibel Island sees its vacation rental rates cut nearly in half.

In addition, consumer confidence appears to be rising across the USA and those people who were hesitant to spend money on vacations last year, are not so cautious this coming summer. And, as always, Sanibel Island is seen as the seaside resort for those living inland or in Florida's cities, so business should be quite brisk for both July and at least the first 2 weeks of August.

Now, let's sit back and see how close our predictions come to reality!