Sarasota-Bradenton summer time tourism robust in Could and June

Summers in Sarasota Manatee are usually hot, muggy, and slow.

By May, snow birds have usually returned to their northern homelands, and others Tourists are usually on a European vacation or another week-long short break while their children are on summer vacation.

But not this year.

Because Florida was one of the first states to reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sarasota-Bradenton area has seen a tremendous influx of travelers that has resulted in a tourism boom in the area. The room prices in both districts and the number of visitors in the region have increased significantly compared to the same period last year.

Florida’s “open to business” status is a factor, experts say, but also an aggressive marketing strategy by the state tourism bureau Visit Florida and the fact that domestic travelers don’t have many other options. But right now the state is enjoying a tourism boom that experts say will likely last all summer.

“We are beating the 2019 summer numbers and I expect we will keep this course throughout the summer,” said Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “And remember, without the international market, we will outperform.”

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The payment

Sarasota County recorded 155,100 visitors in May 2021, up nearly 34% from the same month in 2019, according to Visit Sarasota County’s data.

Hotel occupancy was 78% in May, compared to 64.5% two years ago, and the average daily room rate rose to $ 213.51 from $ 165.74 in May 2019.

“It goes without saying that this was the best May in our history,” said Virginia Haley, President of Visit Sarasota County.

According to the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Manatee County recorded 83,400 visitors in April, the most recent month for which data was available. That’s a 31% increase from 2019. The average daily rate fell 4% from April 2019 to $ 193.55, but hotel occupancy was 11% higher at 83.1%.

Falcione said he expected tourism to be particularly strong by around April 2022. Tourism is currently strong because international travel is still closed and many US travelers come to Florida because they know it is a safe choice for a short vacation. is basically no COVID restrictions. Hopefully the international markets will open up again soon, he said.

“We have UK visitors who have reservations about getting to Florida in general and our destination if the restrictions are lifted and if not the tour operator can give them their money back. We would expect to see her immediately, ”said Falcione.

Most domestic visitors up close by car will impact average daily spending, Falcione said. In 2019, the median household income for a visitor to the Bradenton area was $ 121,000. His latest report showed that the current median income is $ 111,000.

“By this time next year, I expect it to be back to $ 122,000 or $ 123,000,” he said. “This is the demographic that you want to see in your community because it’s affordable based on the assets being offered to visitors, and then they’re more likely to become real estate and business owners, and that’s how Florida was built.”

Another factor that drives business to Sarasota-Manatee is that Number of new flights that have recently started at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Southwest Airlines flies there with four destinations in February, with 19 by the end of the year.

Allegiant Air, the airport’s largest airline, has also launched a new service, and Elite Airways only started flights to White Plains, New York, and on to Portland, Maine, just last weekend.

Also the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport broke the records in passenger traffic this year, with 294,165 passengers in April, the busiest month in the airport’s history.

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At the same time, a lot of people are going to Sarasota-Bradenton, Haley said. Typically the drive market is considered to be people living four to five hours away. But now people stop overnight on their trips to Sarasota-Bradenton.

“Part of that is from the conversations I have been having worry about rental cars because you have problems with rental car availability and the cost of rental cars has skyrocketed,” she said. “Even if the gasoline prices are higher, the economy for driving works.”

It’s true – there is a shortage of rental cars. The AAA issued a statement on this last week. But it hasn’t had a major impact on Sarasota-Bradenton Airport in about a year, said airport president and CEO Rick Piccolo.

“We’re an early recovery location, so car rental companies have tended to bring more cars here,” Piccolo said. “We had bottlenecks in the early stages – an hour or two of waiting – but that seems to have been largely resolved.”

Haley said Visit Florida’s marketing efforts also helped get the message across Sarasota to market. The office took a huge marketing spurt in the second half of 2020 that Haley said had helped Florida recover tourism.

“We have really established Sarasota as a brand. Even if there aren’t many cultural offerings, it has a lot to do with the atmosphere of the place and of course with the outdoor offerings,” she said. “Feels like it’s a safe bet because it’s relaxing, there’s busy, the reputation of restaurants and you can eat outside even though it’s a little warm. But eating outdoors is part of the culture here. ”

Even so, she said she knew things were going to get more competitive again soon. But the reopening of the Canadian border, as well as more business and group travel, will help balance out new travel plans for domestic visitors.

“I expect there will be more and more options for domestic visitors later this summer, and some of that backlog where Florida is really your only practical option is going to fade a bit,” she said. “But if they reopen Canada it will hopefully make up for the domestic market, which is returning to normal levels.”

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