Back-to-School Means Empty Beaches for Empty-Nesters

As families prepare for school, many vacationers enjoy more beach elbow room and timeshare bargains.

Like two bookends holding the months of summer, Memorial Day and Labor Day are the traditional opening and closing weekends of the beach season all across America. But in reality, there is no better time to hit the beach than right after the kids have gone back-to- school to hit the books.

“Growing up, our family owned a summer home on Long Beach Island, New Jersey,” says Marilyn Lang, now a realtor with Coldwell Banker. “We looked forward to all the tourists leaving on Labor Day Weekend. It was like a faucet shutting off. Before Labor Day, the beach was crowded. After Labor Day, it was just a few locals hanging out.”

The lack of crowds isn’t the only benefit post-Labor Day vacationers enjoy—as timeshare owners well know. Known as the ‘swing season’, the weeks of September and October are bargains for those in the market for a timeshare. Weeks immediately following Labor Day are highly sought-after by empty-nesters whose vacations aren’t restrained by a school calendar. And they’re priced right by resorts trying to capture additional business after the traditional end of the season.

A case in point is The Port O’Call timeshare resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. This resort participates in a timeshare exchange program provided by Resort Condominiums International (RCI). A 2-bed/2-bath timeshare at this resort goes for 83,500 RCI points in week 32, which is August 12th-19th. The same unit drops to 67,500 points in week 36, which is the week after Labor Day. That’s a 20% savings. And everything is better, as the crowds are gone and so is the traffic, plus the intense heat of August is behind you.

In fact, the total beach vacation experience is simply more enjoyable. From making tee-times and dinner reservations, to booking excursions on tour boats and renting water sports equipment, beach vacations are simply more relaxed after Labor Day. And shopkeepers are friendlier too.

“Before Labor Day, it’s ‘Take a number.’ After Labor Day, it’s ‘Can I help you?’”, remarks Charles Miles, a retiree and year-round resident of West Harwich on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. “September is the time to vacation at the Cape,” Miles continues. “The pace is slower, the water is at its warmest and everyone is friendlier. There’s more charm—it’s what vacationing at the Cape used to be years ago.”