page_title: Gulf Shores, Alabama
section_title: Tourism
hierarchical_section_title: Gulf Shores, Alabama / Tourism
caption_attribution_description: English: View of the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama during Spring Break.
context_page_description: Gulf Shores is a resort city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 9,741.
context_section_description: Like many coastal communities, tourism plays a major role in the local economy of Gulf Shores. The 2010 BP oil spill was expected to severely affect both local real estate and beach tourism. However, after a rough year, the tourism economy in Gulf Shores appears to have returned to pre-spill levels. In October 2011, the city began a branding campaign to help it stand out from other coastal destinations in the area.
  Ocean fishing, beaches, boating cruises, and especially golf are major draws for the area. Chartered fishing boats and cruise boats for sunsets, dinner cruises, dolphin watching, and watersports embark regularly, and the area is home to two of the top-rated golf resorts in Alabama - Craft Farms and Kiva Dunes. There are a total of nine signature golf clubs, as well as a state-owned 18-hole course. Other popular attractions include the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo (as featured in Animal Planet's "The Little Zoo that Could"); Pelican Place at Craft Farms, a shopping mall; and Waterville USA, a family amusement/waterpark. The city is home to an annual three-day music festival on the beach each May, the Hangout Music Festival.
  The City of Gulf Shores is moving forward with plans to transform Gulf Place, the city’s most iconic stretch of beachfront and main public beach area with a $15 million Gulf Place Revitalization Project.  Amenities will include a public boardwalk on the beachside of the parking areas and public green space, walking paths, shade structures, restrooms, and attractive landscaping. Sustainable and low-impact development strategies will be major components of the project, including on-site stormwater management and reuse. Beach dune restoration will be incorporated into the design to provide habitat and protection from storm surge.
caption: Tourism plays a major role in the local economy of Gulf Shores. The city's high-rise condominiums are seen in the background.
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