Port Aransas, Texas, Still Quaint, But Popular

Port Aransas, Texas, a once quaint fishing town on the northern tip of Mustang Island, is experiencing record-breaking tourism numbers, even more than pre-pandemic levels.

Approaching 350,000 (70% families, 30% college/high school spring breakers), Spring Breakers have been enticed for decades to annual getaway for many Texans and beyond.

“Every year for Spring Break, thousands of ocean-lovers flock to the miles of beautiful beaches in Port Aransas. The ferry line grows long, the restaurants have wait lists, and the city comes alive in preparation for the coming crowds,” the Port Aransas Explorer notes.

Over 1,050,000 people traveled to “Port A” in 2022, a 637,000 increase since 2018.

SandFest is the most popular event of the year in Port Aransas, held every April on the beach.

Each winter, endangered whooping cranes migrate to the warm waters of the Texas Gulf Coast. Their arrival is celebrated in Port Aransas with the 4-day Whooping Crane Festival in late February.

Last year, annual visitor spending reached $372 million, which almost doubled 2019 levels.

According to city figures. this generated another $192 million in indirect and induced impacts, resulting in a total economic impact of $563 million in their economy.

“In direct spending by our visitors alone, we saw approximately $1 million a day come into Port Aransas throughout the entire year,” said Brett Stawar, president and CEO of the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau & Chamber of Commerce. “That’s quite a feat for a town that is just over 14 square miles.”

• Visitor activity sustained a total of 4,925 jobs in 2022.

• This included 3,632 direct jobs.

• An additional 1,292 jobs were supported through “indirect and induced impacts.”

•The visitor activity generated $88 million in direct labor income for workers and a total of $244.6 million, which includes indirect and induced impacts.

“A lot of that really comes from the places the tourists stay,” Port Aransas Mayor Wendy Moore noted. “They stay in motels, they stay in cottages, they stay in condominiums, they stay in homes and a lot of that generators a lot of hotel, motel tax dollars for the community.”

“Tourism is the economic engine for the city of Port Aransas and has been since our city was founded over 100 years ago,” Moore said. “But we would like to see some additional services and restaurants to support the local economy. The future for Port Aransas looks very bright.”