GULF SHORES, Ala. — With cold winds blowing and snow sticking to the ground, northern visitors will soon be migrating south and so will begin the snowbird season.

While most winter guests hold off through the holidays, some have already made the trek, and blue car tags have already been spotted in restaurant parking lots.

In January the city will be filled with temporary residents from Michigan, Ohio and Illinois — among many other too-cold-to-stay-home places — and with them they bring their dollars, charity and involvement.

President and CEO of the Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau Herb Malone said the winter visitors are good for the community.

“They become part of the churches and civic clubs and they actively volunteer at places like the zoo and the library,” Malone said. “They are here at a time that would normally be quiet and empty.”

Especially important to the Gulf Coast is the money spent here during the shoulder season.

“They are like any tourists that are going to spend money at our businesses,” Malone said. “They stimulate our economy and they help stimulate our quality of life.”

The winter guests usually stay for two to three months with February being the peak month in occupancy.

Although some news reports have implied the season won’t be busy, GCCVB Vice President Mike Foster clarified that the area isn’t busy yet, but the snowbirds are expected to come as usual.

“Our belief is we will be about where we were last year,” Foster said.

Even with the economy at a standstill, Malone agreed and said there doesn’t appear to be a slowdown in rentals and it seems that it will be business as usual this winter.

According to Malone, unofficial polling has shown the occupancy rate will match last year, and while some people have made cancellations those empty rooms are booking up again.

“We’re getting as many new ones as cancellations,” he said.

Malone explained because of the economy, some snowbirds who might usually travel far south into Florida are redirecting to hit a closer coast.

An interesting twist to this winter’s business is the movement created in Michigan to boycott Alabama.

As a response to Sen. Richard Shelby’s opposition of the Big Three bailout, retired General Motors engineer Joe Babiasz began the boycottalabamanow.com Web site. The site is aimed toward encouraging citizens to show their disagreement with politicians who are against the bailout by ceasing any support of Alabama.

But Foster said after speaking with accommodations partners, there has been no affect to the business because of the boycott.

Winter visitor Joe Males of Montgomery, Ill., has been spending his winters in Gulf Shores for the past 11 years and will be coming again this year.

Males and his wife Joan plan to arrive in January with no concerns of the economy holding them back.

He said his two month stay will be no different from previous years and anticipates his spending patterns to be the same.

Editor's note:

The Islander wants your snowbird news!

We are currently compiling information from various snowbird groups.

Information will appear on a special page each Wednesday beginning in January.

If you would like your event or club listed on that page, please send all correspondence to theislander@gulfcoastnewspapers.com.

In the subject line please write Snowbird Information. Please include which club you belong to, name and phone number in case we need to contact you.