Alongside welcoming millions of international visitors each year, Miami in Florida has long been a hotspot for domestic tourism – with particular popularity among students on spring break. The March or April holiday has evolved into a rite of passage spree of raucous partying centred on Miami Beach since the 1980s. The phenomenon attracted TV crews and mini-music festivals at its peak – but the combination of crowds and booze has led to a spate of fights and criminal activity, turning the tide on the once-welcomed sunseekers.
Miami police have begun cracking down on teenage revellers, with a jokey pledge to “break up” with spring break morphing into a serious set of new restrictions this year. The measures, which include restricted beach access, bag checks and the closure of liquor stores by 8pm, may have delivered a bigger-than-anticipated blow to the Miami strip, however, with this year quieter than ever before.
Authorities have also installed DUI checkpoints around the partygoer hotspot, with TikTok users sharing footage of empty beaches on the platform and declaring South Beach “dead” as a spring break spot. One would-be partier simply told their followers “don’t come” after regretting flying out to the eastern Florida area.
“Consistent with last year’s spring break, Miami Beach will once again impose tough measures in March to reinforce the message that the city is not interested in being a spring break party destination,” the city authority said on its website. “Disorderly crowds, lawless behaviour and violence will not be tolerated.”
The strict new rules will be enforced between March 13 and 16 and from March 20 to 23. They will also suspend businesses renting motorised scooters and mopeds and impose a $100 fee for parking in central locations.
Students are instead heading in droves to Fort Lauderdale, a nearby Florida city north of Miami, with social media users urging others to choose the coastal city’s party strip over South Beach.
Mayor Dean Trantalis has struck a different tone to his counterparts elsewhere in the state by pledging to welcome spring breakers with open arms, suggesting that Fort Lauderdale has a “different vibe” to Miami Beach.
“I think the mood is edgier in Miami Beach,” he said. “I think the beach is sort of an afterthought when it comes to the reason for that destination. Most people are drawn to the party scenes.”
“Everyone under the sun is welcome [in Fort Lauderdale],” the mayor added. “We appreciate everyone regardless of their background, their faith, their race, who they love. Fort Lauderdale is a place for everyone.”