Panama City Beach, Fla., Named Top Beach by TripAdvisor(R)

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla., June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Panama City Beach, Fla., was
just recognized by TripAdvisor(R) as home to one of America's top beaches.

Ranking third in the U.S. on the just-released 2009 listing, the destination's
St. Andrews State Recreation Area was selected based on opinions of millions
of travelers worldwide and the expertise of the editors of the world's largest
online travel community, TripAdvisor.com(R).

Spanning 1,260 acres in picturesque Northwest Florida, St. Andrews State
Recreation Area boasts sugar-white sand overlooking the clear, emerald-green
waters of the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrew Bay. The 1.5-mile-long beach has
a calm, child-friendly area, offering swimming and snorkeling in a shallow,
tranquil pool, protected by jetties. Visitors can take a quick ferry ride to
nearby Shell Island for more surf and sun. Hikers and birders, meanwhile,
enjoy the park's 1.25 miles of pristine trails with an incredible array of
plants and wildlife, including deer, egrets and graceful tropical birds. At
St. Andrews, anglers enjoy surf fishing, as well as fishing off a deep-sea
jetty and two piers. Concession stands and campsites also are available for
lovers of the outdoors.

Panama City Beach also enjoys recognition as a premier beach destination from
CondeNast Traveler, USA Today, The TravelChannel, Southern Living, Dr. Beach
and the Clean Beaches Council.

"The destination offers something for everyone," explains Dan Rowe, C.E.O.,
Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Our award-winning beaches
and predictably sunny weather have drawn travelers for generations. Visitors
here today discover a wealth of new offerings. From new restaurants, shops and
nightlife venues to outdoor concerts, festivals, fishing, golfing, eco-tours
and more, there's always something fun going on in Panama City Beach."

Shoppers and culinary enthusiasts here are rewarded at the new Pier Park,
located in the heart of town. Spanning roughly one million-square-foot Pier
Park serves up soft sea breezes and an array of unique offerings as Northwest
Florida's largest shopping, dining and entertainment venue. For marine life
lovers, the nearby Gulf World Marine Park delights with animal exhibits and
shows as well as opportunities to swim with the dolphins. Little ones marvel
at ZooWorld Zoological & Botanical Park, home to more than 250 animals,
including rare and endangered species, in a lush, tropical setting. Family
attractions abound, including Shipwreck Island Waterpark, one of Florida's
largest theme water parks, and Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium,
featuring fascinating finds from around the world.

For outdoor enthusiasts, there's world-class fishing, hiking, kayaking and
more. Adventurers find plenty of ways to test their skills with Panama City
Beach's full spectrum of water sports - snorkeling, diving, parasailing,
skimboards, Yolo boards, wave runners and more.

To showcase the destination's many charms, the Convention and Visitors Bureau
recently launched a summer-long online video contest, offering $50,000 in cash
and prizes, including customized vacations to Panama City Beach. Tapping into
the fast-growing popularity of online videos, the contest encourages consumers
to post their original works, offering an innovative travel personality twist.

Through July 31, consumers can visit www.RealFunContest.com and take a quick
quiz to determine their Panama City Beach travel personality: Eco-Seeker,
Wave Warrior, After Dark Shark looking for glittery nightlife, Soul Surfer who
loves long strolls on the beach, or a leader of the family-friendly Sandy
Bottom Bunch. Then, they can produce an original video that showcases their
unique travel personality type. The top videos will be showcased for online
voting, and five winners will receive $10,000 each in cash and prizes,
including five-night vacations in Panama City Beach, customized to suit their
travel interests. To date, nearly 2,000 people from around the country have
taken the destination's travel personality quick quiz.

With so much to offer, it's no surprise that Panama City Beach attracts
visitors from around the globe. Even more travelers are about to discover this
Florida gem thanks to a new international airport slated to make its debut in
the spring 2010. The airport's opening will increase accessibility to Panama
City Beach for travelers nationally and internationally. With myriad green
features incorporated into its design and construction, the airport aims to be
the first in the U.S. to receive LEED certification.

For more information, go to www.visitpanamacitybeach.com or call the
Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-PC-BEACH (850-233-6503).

About Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach boasts 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering the
clear, emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay. The
Northwest Florida community is home to St. Andrew's State Park, a Top Three
beach on the 2009 TripAdvisor list of America's best beaches. Panama City
Beach also enjoys recognition as a premier beach destination by CondeNast
Traveler, The TravelChannel, USA Today, Southern Living, Dr. Beach and the
Clean Beaches Council. Family attractions, championship golf courses, sporting
events, award-winning dining, predictably sunny weather and a vast number of
recreational activities draw visitors to this seaside community. For more
information, call 1-800-PC-BEACH (850-233-6503) or check out the official Web
site of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau,
http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com.

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SOURCE Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau

Jeanette Chin, +1-212-561-9353, jeanette.chin@ypartnership.com, or Sharlet
Brennan, +1-407-838-1707, sharlet.brennan@ypartnership.com, both of
Ypartnership Public Relations