The beach at Isla Cancun along the Zona Hotelera, Mexico (top); and San Francisco Giants’ Santiago Casilla signs autographs for fans after arriving for spring training baseball workouts in Scottsdale, Arizona

Panama City Beach, but he’s ending the tradition with this year’s farewell show.

Eight-five per cent of visitors drive to the region, but options are increasing for flying in to Northwest Florida Beaches airport in Panama City Beach, with Southwest and United adding service from Texas beginning in March.

Baseball and music

For baseball fans, spring break means spring training as teams face off in practice games before the official start of Major League Baseball. The Cactus League in Arizona plays in Tempe, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Goodyear, Peoria, Surprise and Glendale. The Grapefruit League in Florida plays in Bradenton, Clearwater, Dunedin, Fort Myers, Jupiter, Kissimmee, Lake Buena Vista at Disney World, Lakeland, Port Charlotte, Port St Lucie, Sarasota, Tampa and Viera.

For music fans, spring means festivals. “We are seeing more spring break festivals happening this year than ever before,” said Vito Valentinetti, whose website MusicFestivalJunkies.com lists events by month.

Valentinetti says “the undisputed king of spring break festivals” is the Ultra Music Festival in Miami’s Bayfront Park.

The BUKU festival in New Orleans, on the other hand, is “about as opposite from a beach experience as you can get on spring break,” in a venue that’s been described as an “intimate post-industrial setting.” BUKU offers electronic dance music, along with indie rock and hip-hop.