One of the many ways that the internet has radically changed the way people live is by leveling the playing field when it comes to advertising and marketing. It used to be that, when it came to planning destination vacations, it was only the locations with the largest budgets that attracted the most attention. It also meant that certain places would inadvertently only be known for one aspect of what they had to offer, making it highly unlikely people would consider them as a choice if they wanted something additional in the vacation plans. Key West, Florida is one such location to benefit from these changes.
Many of the tropical islands that people think about as destination vacations have become so well-known because tourism is all they have. These small Caribbean island nations rely heavily on tourists and their spending money to survive year to year, so they have made a concerted effort over the years and decades to continually advertise. Key West is certainly a tourist based location, but it also is a fully functioning city with a strong military presence, and it is also only one small location among much bigger tourist destination spots in Florida. The annual operating budget for any of the internationally known theme parks that dot the state is easily several times what the budget is for the city of Key West. This allows them to spend their own money on advertising and not rely on tax revenue and government subsidies.
Up until 15 or 20 years ago, this lack of exposure meant that very few people were discovering Key West. While this was certainly instrumental in helping it retain its laid back charms and island vibes, it also meant that many businesses were in danger of closing on an almost yearly basis. People flocked to the island paradise for the first four months of the year to escape the cold of winter, but from May until December, the local joke was you could roll a bowling ball down the length of Duval Street – Key West Florida’s main tourist road where most of the famous Key West restaurants and bars are located – and not worry about hitting anybody.
The biggest reason that Key West is now attracting visitors every month of the year is the growth of the internet. Places can advertise online for only a few dollars a month, and people looking for tips on a good vacation can review such member review generated websites like TripAdvisor, Yelp. Yahoo and other vacation search engines. Now when people are looking for island getaways, destination vacations or even choices for destination weddings, they have more to choose from than just the weekly travel section in the newspaper. Thanks to the internet, more and more people every year are choosing Key West, Florida as their destination vacation.