Satellite media tour puts destination in the spotlight

Here we are in our busiest time of the year and I am happy to report some outstanding numbers from our recent satellite media tour (SMT). We strategically used Jan. 28, National Plan for Vacation Day, as an opportunity to encourage everyone to plan their vacation days for the upcoming year. 

On Jan. 14, our Communications Team did TV & radio interviews with more than 25 TV and radio stations around the U.S. Most interviews were live-to-tape and aired Jan. 28. 

The SMT results include 1,004 airings and an audience of more than 20 million viewers in in-state and national markets. 

A special thank you to Commissioners Cecil Pendergrass and David Mulicka, and Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson for joining the VCB's Communications Team in some of the TV & radio segments (click on the images above to watch). We are grateful to Margaritaville Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach for partnering with us and providing the perfect backdrop for filming.

Savannah Bananas, Feb. 14-16
If you're one of the lucky ticket holders to see the greatest show in sports, your wait is almost over. We're so excited to welcome baseball's Savannah Bananas to JetBlue Park for two night games and one day game. The Savannah Bananas are known for their unique, family-affordable brand of baseball and fun. 

Hosting a special event like the Savannah Bananas is one of the many examples of the entertainment opportunities that tourism brings to Lee County for our community to enjoy. Tourism dollars pay for venues that host events like this as well as the resources to support them.

Southwest Florida Ag Expo, Feb. 27-March 9
Get ready for “An Ag-citing Adventure” at the Southwest Florida Ag Expo at the Lee County Civic Center Complex, 11831 Bayshore Road. The event promises to be a family-friendly adventure filled with fun, learning and excitement for all ages.

A range of interactive exhibits, thrilling rides, delicious food and an up-close look at agriculture celebrates the hard work and dedication of the community’s youth.

Midway fans can purchase a $30 MEGAPASS for the Ag Expo. It includes gate admission and a wristband for unlimited mechanical rides on one day of your choice. Get a MEGAPASS early; sales end when the Ag Expo opens at 4 p.m. Feb. 27. The MEGAPASS can be conveniently purchased at SWFLAgExpo.com.

It's a busy month and we hope you can take time to enjoy all that our destination has to offer. Thank you for all you do. 

Dunbar-McCollum Hall mural wall

If you're an industry partner and would like to be considered for a VCB Partner Spotlight, please contact Ray Sarracino, VCB communications director, at rsarracino@leegov.com

Florida Severe Weather Awareness Week, Feb. 3-7

The Florida Division of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service are recognizing Feb. 3-7 as Severe Weather Awareness Week. Drawing attention to several weather hazards, the campaign will share information on how to prepare and respond to natural disasters. 
 
Each day will have a corresponding topic, including: 

• Feb. 3: Lightning
• Feb. 4: Marine hazards & rip currents
• Feb. 5: Thunderstorms & tornadoes
• Feb. 6: Hurricanes & flooding
• Feb. 7: Extreme temperatures & wildfires

Weather information will also be shared on the Lee County VCB Facebook page and website.

Be part of the Florida Green Lodging Program

The Florida Green Lodging Program recognizes lodging facilities that voluntarily commit to protecting Florida’s natural resources. This free program helps hotels and resorts save money and increase occupancy rates. 

State government agencies and groups also give preference to Green Lodging properties when booking hotels for conference and meetings. 

VCB's Performance Dashboard 

Explore the Symphony dashboard, developed by the VCB, in partnership with Tourism Economics. The dashboard combines all our destination data sources to make data insights more user-friendly and interactive.

Key insights: 

• In-state markets made up three of the Top 5 arrival markets in December, with Tampa being the highest. The remaining markets in the Top 5 include Miami, Orlando, Chicago and New York. The Top 3 points of interest for domestic visitors were Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Bonita Springs. Source: Near
  
  
• Domestic visitation from the 500+ mile radius for December 2024 was 59.1% of visitors, a 2.4% increase compared to December 2023. Source: Near
  
  
• Average length of stay for international visitors in December 2024 was 5.8 days, with 89.3% of stays including an overnight. The top international market was Canada with an average length of stay of 6.3 days. Source: Near
  
  
• Hotel room supply and demand in November 2024 increased by 5.6% and 6.4% YOY, respectively, with hotel revenue increasing by 5% compared to November 2024. Source: STR

February paid media placements

Our efforts in FY24/25 Q2 are largely to influence spring visitation, as well as to support the groups/meetings business. Here is a snapshot of our paid media placements launching in February.

Consumer:

• Garden and Gun – display, print
• Links Magazine – email, newsletter

Meetings, weddings, travel trade:

• Mobilefuse – display
• Wedding Sutra – custom content, social
• eTarget – dedicated email
• Travel Market Report – native

Guests First classes available online and in-person

Domestic sales activities

Rotating photos include:

• (Photos 1-3) SITE Holly Trolley & Association Forum Holiday Showcase, Dec. 3-5: Lauren Hyps, VCB, and Neil Swetz, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, showcased the destination at our trade show booth and connected with meeting planners from the greater Chicago area. Over 170 meeting professionals attended the SITE client event and about 840 association event planners attended Association Forum’s trade show. 
  
  
• (Photos 4-6) Smart Meetings Incentive Experience, Dec. 8-10: Betsy Bush, VCB, conducted one-on-one appointments with incentive planners at this show in Phoenix which drew about 400 meeting professionals. 
  
  
• (Photos 7-8) DC CVB Reps Holiday Client Event, Dec. 11: Betsy Bush, VCB, co-hosted a client event in Washington, D.C. that was attended by over 600 association and corporate meeting professionals.

International sales activities

Rotating photos include:

• (Photo 1) Discover America Canada, Nov. 26: Jeanette Faria, VCB Canada, attended the Discover America Canada holiday social and monthly meeting which included a special presentation by Brand USA that focused on global trade development, achievements and future initiatives. From left: Erin Oddleifson, VoX Canada; Elvi Cal, Travel Brands; Jeanette Faria, VoX Canada; Audrey Tanguay Beaudette, Air Canada.

• (Photo 2) Spoiled Agent “Get Spoiled” Event, Nov. 28: Jeanette Faria, VCB Canada, participated in the Spoiled Agent “Get Spoiled” advisor event in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Faria had the opportunity to network with 105 travel advisors and provide destination information for the winter 2024-25 season. 

• (Photos 3-4) Discover Airlines/Expipoint River Workshop Cruise, Nov. 24-26: Nadia Bourgault, VCB Germany, held eight 30-minute workshops for groups of 12-14 agents and provided information on the status of hotels and resorts, beaches, cycling on Sanibel & Captiva islands, kayaking throughout the region, and restaurant and microbrewery options. The event was the German airlines first workshop event that included taking 105 travel agents round-trip from Passau to Austria. 
  
  
• (Photo 5) Discover Airlines Headquarters Office Afterwork Workshop, Nov. 27: Nadia Bourgault, VCB Germany, attended this North America-themed workshop at their headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. She met with 68 travel agents and discussed accommodations openings, nature, beach conditions after Hurricane Milton, culinary highlights, events and live webcams located throughout the destination.
  
  
• (Photos 6-7) Maritime Travel National Staff Conference, Nov. 29-30: Jeanette Faria, VCB Canada, participated in the annual two-day National Staff Conference that included 100 suppliers and 400 advisors from across Canada.

February sales events

Communications team activities

Rotating panels include:

(Panel 1) Jennifer Weatherhead, Jan. 13-16: In partnership with VISIT FLORIDA, the Communications Team hosted Weatherhead, a TV travel expert based in Toronto, and videographer Justin Harrington. Her video will air on "CH Morning Live" and CTV Morning Live Ottawa." 

Thank you to the industry partners involved with her press trip:

• Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina
• Cabbage Key
• Crow's Nest Steakhouse
• Edison and Ford Winter Estates
• Bruno's of Brooklyn
• Lovegrove Studios Downtown Fort Myers
• Ford's Garage

(Panel 2) TravMedia's International Media Marketplace (IMM) North America 2025, New York City, Jan. 23: Jackie Parker, VCB, met with 24 travel writers, speed-dating style, to discuss potential press trips and network with content creators and other destinations. More than 1,100 delegates attended. 

Communications earned media results

Visitor Services activities

Where in Southwest Florida have our Tourism Ambassadors been? They had the good fortune to take a destination training tour at Sanibel Historical Museum & Village and BIG ARTS Sanibel. A big thank you to our destination industry partners for hosting our volunteers.