“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” - John Muir, American Naturalist

Resilience is in our nature, and that includes our wildlife too.  We are keeping a close watch on how our neighbors in the wild have fared.

Witness the solace of the wildlife recovery at Sanibel Island’s crown jewel, J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge which was featured on June 4^th’s CBS Sunday Morning in the popular "Moment in Nature" segment. Videographer Charles Schultz expertly captured how nature is on the mend at the refuge. A bobcat, osprey, green heron, anhinga, ibis, baby birds hatching, even an alligator, all made their TV debut.

While areas of Fort Myers’ islands, beaches and neighborhoods may look a bit different right now, the progress of recovery from Hurricane Ian continues to astound me.  And now, you can see for yourself on our new live neighborhood webcams! 

Exploring our neighborhoods with live webcams on visitfortmyers.com/webcams is the next best thing to being here.

Viewers can catch the sun setting in downtown Fort Myers, see the blue-green water of the Gulf off Boca Grande, spot butterflies in Cape Coral, see a manatee at Manatee Park, or watch the tide roll off Pine Island. The first five webcams are live and several more will follow in the coming months.  Take control and get a live view of our islands, beaches and neighborhoods. 

Shops, hotels and restaurants have opened their doors, cultural attractions are thriving, and the days are shining brightly.  Hear from some of our meeting hotels and resorts on the exciting progress of their recovery in this recently shot video.

We value your business, treasure our friendships, and hope you choose the islands, beaches and neighborhoods of Fort Myers for your next conference.

“We found ourselves comparing Florida, Texas and Arizona locations when picking our event location and decided upon Fort Myers because of The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village. The Westin provides the perfect size venue with the right type of rooms for our unique private meeting format.” 

 Check out the full article quoting LeAnn Koenig Olson with VerticalXchange at Corporate & Incentive Travel Magazine.  

"The Lee County CVB is great to work with if you plan to host a meeting in this area! All of the staff are super friendly, helpful, and provide great resources for your event."

- Katie Risher, University of Florida

"Working with the Visitors and Convention Bureau has been amazing! They are super easy to work with and always helpful! I appreciate them!"

- Beth Beller, Creative Memories

Meeting Planner Guide to Fort Myers - Islands, Beaches & Neighborhoods

Largest Meeting Property List

Island Incentive Meetings Program

What's Open in Fort Myers - Islands, Beaches & Neighborhoods

RSW Nonstop Cities Map

RSW Terminal Expansion Info

Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) Travel Tips

Airport News
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) is proud to join the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, which is designed to allow travelers to let others know they have a non-visible disability. The Sunflower symbol, printed on a lanyard, badge, hat, wrist bracelet, pin or other branded item, indicates a person may need more assistance.  

For more information about the Hidden Disability Sunflower Program, click here. Travelers can email contactus@flylcpa.com if they have questions about the program at RSW.

Visit Florida Offers Event Insurance
Weather is what it is, we can’t change that. In truth, the probability that a meeting may be impacted by weather is very low. Nevertheless, the perception held by meeting planners is different. Their reluctance is based on a heightened sensitivity to risk associated with having an event disrupted by a hurricane. To address this perception and to minimize risk, VISIT FLORIDA has developed Cover Your Event insurance. This unique tool has been very successful over the past several years; we insure well over 100 meetings per year with an approximate economic impact of over $30 million per year.  Please click here for the details on this FREE valuable program.

AHLA General Manager of the Year Award

Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, general manager, Brian Kramer receives the 2023 General Manager of the Year Award from American Hotel Lodging Association (AHLA).  Watch the video played during the annual AHLA event on June 28, 2023, in Las Vegas.

Dining, coffee and brewery news
The Shipyard and Crow's Nest Steakhouse have opened at ’Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa on Captiva Island. The nautically themed restaurants pay tribute to the bygone days of Florida’s fishing and boating legacy. 

Holiday Inn Fort Myers Airport becomes Crowne Plaza Ft. Myers Gulf Coast
New name, same great service!  Now a premium brand within the IHG family, Crowne Plaza Ft. Myers Gulf Coast has recently completed an extensive renovation of the entire ground floor including the re-imagned gathering spaces in the lobby, lounge, restaurant and bar, new state-of-the-art expanded fitness center, 24-hour Marketplace and all meeting rooms.  To speak in detail, please contact Ani Farrell, director of sales and marketing, at the Crowne.

Crowne Plaza to become Doubletree by Hilton
The Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at Bell Tower Shops will shift brands to the Hilton portfolio by the end of 2023. The property’s conversion to a DoubleTree by Hilton will consist of major renovations to the lobby, meeting rooms and its Shoeless Joe’s Sports Cafe. The hotel’s 225 guest rooms recently underwent extensive renovations. 

Q3 2023 Events

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