OKALOOSA ISLAND — Vacation bookings are already on the rise for the 2013 Florida State H.O.G. Rally, which will showcase many of its activities at The Boardwalk in late October.
The event, which kicks off Oct. 22 and runs through Oct. 26, is shaping up to be a major tourism draw for the slower fall shoulder season.
“It’s a great piece of business,” said Dan O’Byrne, director of the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Department. “We’re looking at close to 5,000 room nights over those four or five days.”
This year’s rally will mark the third time the Harley Owners Group has held its event on the Emerald Coast. The motorcycle aficionados gathered in Destin in 2010 and 2011.
See photos from the 2010 H.O.G. rally in Destin. >>
The Tourist Development Council is providing the group with a $25,000 sponsorship that could increase to $30,000 if it meets its projection of 4,625 room nights.
“All of the hotels on Okaloosa Island and in Destin are going to benefit from this,” said Joe Guidry, general manager at the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort. “Anything in September and October is just wonderful.”
Rally coordinator Bruce Fuller said the group is excited to explore Okaloosa Island this year.
“What is there not to like about it?” Fuller said. “It’s absolutely beautiful. You have gorgeous emerald water and the white sand.”
Fuller said this year’s rally is special because 2013 is the 110th anniversary of Harley-Davidson and the 30th anniversary of the Harley Owners Group.
The five-day event, which features a concert by country music artist Travis Tritt at the Emerald Coast Convention Center, is expected to attract Harley riders from across the country.
“We are setting a record for non-Florida reservations this year,” Fuller said.
Fuller’s group has applied to the county for a permit to host a variety of motorcycle games, drills and exhibitions as well as vendors of leather goods and other bike-related items in a portion of The Boardwalk’s parking lot.
County commissioners are expected to approve the permit Tuesday.
George Golematis, general manager of The Boardwalk, said the October rally will provide an economic boost coming off of a “mediocre, rain-drenched summer.”
“This will be a new endeavor for us,” he said. “We’ll monitor it closely to see if it’s something that we want to do in the future. ... As long as it’s beneficial and safe to the community, we welcome it.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari C. Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.
