Ormond Beach makes TripAdvisor's list of Top 25 beaches in the U.S.; let the debate begin

Make a list and the debate inevitably begins, about anything from guitar gods to barbecue to cocktails. Beaches, too.

So, while Ormond Beach basks in its recognition this week on TripAdvisor’s latest list of the Top 25 beaches in the United States, its 12th place ranking is anything but official.

More:In 2020, 5 of TripAdvisor's Top 10 Beaches were from Florida. This year, it's just these 2

A quick poll of Volusia County tourism folks and local elected officials yielded congratulations, but also a nod to the unscientific nature of such rankings.

Daytona Beach, the self-proclaimed "World’s Most Famous Beach," didn’t make the cut.

A snub?

Not in the eyes of Lori Campbell Baker, executive director of the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The CVB markets destinations in the county’s Halifax district, stretching from Ormond Beach south to Ponce Inlet.

 “We consider and market all of our beaches, as if one,” Baker said. “When one wins recognition, we all win. A TripAdvisor Top 25 listing is definitely huge. TripAdvisor lists are based on how much our visitors love our area’s beaches, and we’re absolutely thrilled.”

More:https://www.news-journalonline.com/zz/lifestyle/20200612/the-new-reality-of-vacationing-do

According to TripAdvisor’s website, the beach list is tabulated “based on all the reviews, ratings and saves that travelers share from across the globe.”

The beach ranking is part of TripAdvisor’s annual Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards, which includes categories such as airlines, national parks, attractions and hotels, said Casey Brogan TripAdvisor spokesman Casey Brogan via email. 

New this year, the list takes into account the greatest year-over-year increase in “saves” for beaches on TripAdvisor worldwide, Brogan said.

This change reflects that many travelers were stuck at home for much of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.Saves are an indicator of what travelers are interested in doing in the future, Brogan said.

On the TripAdvisor online list, Ormond Beach’s listing was accompanied by a featured traveler comment describing it as a “very nice beach, very close to Daytona, yet a little less crowded. There are plenty of activities and dining choices within walking distance.”

Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington said that he was pleased that the stretch of beach within the city's borders had garnered national recognition.

"Of course, they’re not telling us anything that those of us who live here don’t already know," he said. "But it’s nice to have that affirmation of how nice it is here in Ormond Beach, how nice it is to live in a beautiful area."

For Partington, his favorite part of the beach is the area around Andy Romano Park, a spot that he had visited on Wednesday morning. 

"It's a super favorite just because it’s so beautiful," he said. "This morning, I saw license plates from Arizona, Pennsylvania and Idaho, as well as a lot of Florida plates too."

Partington also sald he's a fan of the Seminole Avenue approach.

"There's great waves right there for surfing and it’s close to the Dunkin' Donuts," he said.

Volusia County Council member Billie Wheeler, whose district stretches from Ormond Beach to Ponce Inlet, also offered congratulations on the TripAdvisor recognition, but suggested that it should be expanded.

"It's wonderful that Ormond Beach received that honor, but from Ormond all the way down to the end at our Volusia County line we have coastline that anyone should come and visit," Wheeler said. "Yeah, they need to expand that award, for sure. There's quite a bit of beach and it's all fantastic."

Seven other Florida destinations made the Top 25 list of U.S. beaches, including St. Pete Beach at No. 1 and Madeira Beach at No. 9. The rankings also included Destin's Henderson Beach State Park (No. 13); Pensacola Beach (No. 15); Treasure Island Beach (No. 16); Siesta Beach (No. 17); and Clearwater Beach (No. 18).

Beaches in Hawaii dominated the Top 10, with Ka'anapali Beach at No. 2; Wailea Beach at No. 4; Napili Beach at No. 6; Wai'anapanapa State Park at No. 8; and Kailua Beach Park at No. 10.

Congratulations on Ormond Beach’s ranking also were offered by Debbie Meihls, president and CEO of the New Smyrna Beach Visitors Bureau. 

“It’s always good when you get on a list,” Meihls said. “Our beaches are amazing throughout Volusia County and any one of these beaches could rival any of the other beaches on the list.”

Meihls also acknowledged the unofficial nature of the rankings.

“I’m not really sure how they tabulate their best beaches,” she said. “There are perennials that are always on the list: St. Pete Beach, Pensacola. It’s probably from visitor voting.”

If that’s the case, Meihls said, it’s possible that many of New Smyrna Beach’s biggest fans might not want to alert the rest of the world to a popular stretch of coastline that already attracts a lot of visitors on sunny summer weekends.

“I think when you come to New Smyrna Beach, a lot of people consider it a ‘best kept secret’ kind of thing,” she said. “That could be part of it; that a lot of folks that love it here like to keep it a little smaller, and maybe not boasted about it on these lists.”

In Daytona Beach Shores, longtime hotel owner Gary Brown admits that there are too many beach rankings and other lists for him to keep straight.

“It comes down to which one do you believe or don’t believe,” said Brown, owner of the 91-room Sun Viking Lodge, which marks its 50th anniversary this year in Daytona Beach Shores. “Obviously, I’m glad that Ormond Beach made it. If you’re on the list, that’s a positive thing for the area.”

More:MADE JUST RIGHT: Sun Viking Lodge celebrates 50 years in Daytona Beach Shores

If he were making a list, Brown said he would vote for Daytona Beach Shores because of its reputation for being less-crowded than the core stretch of Daytona Beach to the north. That wouldn’t be his only vote, however.

“From Ormond to Daytona Beach Shores to Ponce Inlet to New Smyrna, they’re all beautiful beaches,” Brown said. “If I’m on the committee, they’d all be ranked in the Top 25.”

Let the debate continue.