Looking Ahead to the 2009 Season in Ocean City, MD

January is here. Time to start getting ready for the 2009 season. (Past time, really. When I worked on the boardwalk, we started getting ready for the next season in October! But my winter chores are a story for another day.)

The following message caught my eye in a full-page house ad in last week's Ocean City Today newspaper:

"Party Like It's 1999!
The 21st Century stinks so far, so we're going back to the good old days!
Re-introducing our 1999 rate card.
We're cutting rates for everyone, from now through March."

Which begs the questions on everyone's mind: What more can go wrong with the economy between now and Memorial Day?

One year in the 1970s, we faced a daunting economic situation. Inflation was raging, the economy was faltering, and on top of everything, people had to wait in line at the gas stations to fill up. Ms. Doris Ensminger, president of the Edwards 5&10 stores, had some wise words that spring: "People will still need their vacations."

And she ventured that Ocean City's proximity to Baltimore and Washington would be a business advantage. In fact, Ocean City mounted an advertising campaign that famously featured the bumper sticker: "Half a Tank of Gas to Ocean City, Md." And Mayor Harry Kelley promised vacationers that if they came to Ocean City, they would be able to fill up to get home!

Some things have changed in the past 30 years, and some things remain the same. People still need their vacations, probably more than ever. But families have more entertainment at home! Back in the day, folks didn't have cable TV, movies on DVD, Internet surfing, and addictive computer games. Heck, lots of people didn't even have air conditioning! Families were stuck in the hot city all summer with nothing to do.

So folks came to Ocean City to enjoy the ocean breeze, escape the heat, and have some family fun. Summer vacations were often two weeks long! These days, people feel lucky if they can get away from work for one week. And it might be feasible for families to entertain themselves in air-conditioned comfort at home, when money is tight.

At least the price of gas is coming down, and we don't have to worry about gas lines this summer. On the other hand, if the price of jet fuel remains low, people will have the option of flying off to other resorts. Competition is everywhere.

The law of supply and demand is in effect. The supply of vacation destinations is great. So it's only natural that businesses like Ocean City Today would consider reducing their prices, at least for a little while. I believe some hotels are also considering price rollbacks. Maybe not to 1999, but say, to 2006. In this economic climate, not many businesses can afford to be complacent about their customers.

No one can predict the future. But clearly, businesses in Ocean City and competing resorts will be making adjustments to keep their customers coming back. And businesses in Ocean City definitely have shown resilience and determination during past economic hard times.

Edwards 5&10, after all, opened on the Ocean City boardwalk during the Great Depression.