Make plans to attend Co-op rollout, listening tour

We want to make sure you are aware of the rollout of the Lee County VCB's Cooperative Advertising Program for 2025-26.

The program will be presented from 9-11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, in Room 118 of the Lee County Administration East Building, 2201 Second St., Fort Myers.

This is an excellent opportunity for accommodation and attraction partners to learn more about a variety of marketing opportunities that leverage great exposure at an exceptional value.

This preview gives everyone time to plan and budget for placements, starting in October 2025 and running through September 2026, ahead of the purchase date. 

The Co-op Advertising Program includes:

• Digital media
• Email marketing
• International digital programs
• Tradeshows and sales events
• Travel trade
• Social media
• Website advertising
  
  

The co-op buy-in will open promptly at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21, through our co-op portal and sign-ups are on a first-come, first-served basis. If you need access to our co-op portal at coop.leevcb.com, please contact MMGY’s Sydney Wilde by noon Tuesday, Aug. 19, at swilde@mmgy.com. 

VCB Listening Tour scheduled for August
The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau is hitting the road this August to connect with industry partners across the destination. These Listening Tour sessions — think of them as roundtables for partners — are designed to foster open dialogue, allowing you to share information with your VCB staff, including expectations, challenges and ideas for the future.

We invite you to join us at one of the following stops:

• Tuesday, Aug. 5 | 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
  Estero Recreation Center
  9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd., Estero

• Tuesday, Aug. 5 | 3-4:30 p.m.
  Residence Inn Fort Myers Sanibel
  20371 Summerlin Road, Fort Myers

• Wednesday, Aug. 6 | 8:30-10 a.m.
  The Collaboratory
  2031 Jackson St., Fort Myers

We look forward to hearing from you and working together to strengthen our destination. Registration for these events will be announced soon. 

IPW in Chicago
Members of our sales, marketing and communications teams will represent Lee County in Chicago from June 14-18 at U.S. Travel Association’s IPW. This premier appointment-based show connects us with international travel buyers and journalists from more than 70 countries, providing valuable opportunities to promote our destination on a global stage.

Hurricane Preparedness Workshop, June 3
We hope you'll join us virtually later this morning at 10 a.m. Click here to make a last-minute registration. 

Wishing everyone a great month — Happy National Seashell Day on June 20 (and the first day of summer) — and thank you for all you do to support tourism in Lee County.

Enrollments are now open for the Fort Myers “End of Summer” co-op campaign, aimed at driving incremental demand for hotels in Lee County during the late summer months. Please contact Andrew Low of Expedia Group at anlow@expediagroup.com with questions or enroll here by June 30.

83.4% of hotels in Lee County are open for business

Tourism news

• Delta announces start date for seasonal services between Fort Myers, Salt Lake City
• Season's first green sea turtle nest laid on islands
• Tap 42 Craft Kitchen & Bar opens at Bell Tower
• Fort Myers agrees to build African American Cultural Center

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 

• Hotel performance: Coastal property hotel room supply and demand increased year-over-year by 14.5% and 11.1%, respectively, with revenue up 22.2% compared to March 2024. Source: STR
  
  
• Visitor behavior: Domestic visitors averaged a 3.6-day stay in March 2025, a 12.5% increase year-over-year. Overnight stays accounted for 81.7% of visits. Source: Near
  
  
• Booking pace: April and May 2025 bookings for total rooms sold rose 14.1% and 22.4% over the same time last year. June booking pace is currently up 20.7% year-over-year. Source: Amadeus
  
  
• Visitor spending: Domestic Visa card spending reached $230.2M in March 2025 (+6.5%), while international spending declined 12.4% to $12.3M.Source: Visa Destination Insights

We direct thousands of potential visitors to our website to promote Island Hopper Songwriter Fest and we want them to know about YOUR business! We are calling for all deals and are open to all accommodations, restaurants, shops, attractions and more.

Email VCB’s Vanessa Gomez at vgomez@leegov.com to submit your deal and thank you. 

Kind Traveler provides guests a way to give back

The VCB is proud to be the first destination marketing organization in Florida to partner with Kind Traveler, a socially conscious booking platform that gives back to the community. This collaboration supports several of our local conservation partners. 

Confirmed participating hotels and their associated nonprofit partners include: 

• Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina and Captains for Clean Water
• Sanibel Siesta Beach Resort and CROW
  
• Sea Gypsy Inn and Keep Lee County Beautiful
• 'Tween Waters Inn & Marina and CROW

Lodging partners are encouraged to join Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back program launch and showcase your property’s commitment to Lee County’s future.

Explore more with Parks, Points & Perks Pass

We’re excited to launch Parks, Points & Perks, a free and fun way to discover the natural beauty of our islands, beaches and neighborhoods.

Now through May 2026, check in at more than 30 parks, preserves, and recreation spots using a digital pass to earn points toward prizes like a drawstring backpack, free memberships, parking passes and more.

Visit 20 sites and you’ll be entered to win the grand prize: a two-night stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Fort Myers and a Family Fun Day at Lakes Park.

Questions? Contact the VCB’s Vanessa Gomez at vgomez@leegov.com.

Nominate an outstanding hospitality worker for an E Award

Swamp Cat Brewing Company

Industry partners interested in participating should contact Ray Sarracino, VCB communications director, for consideration.  

Brightwater Lagoon opens in North Fort Myers

South Seas reopens with ribbon-cutting celebration

South Seas celebrated its grand reopening on May 22 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Captiva Island. From left: Greg Spencer, Timbers CEO; Jay Johnson, Lee County Tourist Development Council vice chair; Shawn Farrell, South Seas general manager; Pamela Johnson, Lee County VCB deputy director; David Foster, South Seas director of horticulture golf & fleet services; Chris Schu, South Seas director of facilities engineering & construction.

Crowne Plaza Ft. Myers Gulf Coast earns IHG’s Spirit of True Hospitality Excellence Award

Crowne Plaza Ft. Myers Gulf Coast has earned IHG’s 2024 Spirit of True Hospitality Excellence Award for top performance in guest satisfaction and cleanliness. With a 94.8% cleanliness score, the hotel ranks among IHG’s best in the Americas. Located near Gulf Coast Town Center and RSW Airport, it offers free shuttle service, Wi-Fi and parking. Known for exceptional service, it consistently ranks in the top two Fort Myers hotels on Tripadvisor. 

Domestic sales activities

Rotating photos include:

• (Photo 1) CONFAB for Planners, April 22: Lauren Hyps, VCB, (at right) met and had one-on-one meetings with 35 event planners in Chicago. The show provided an opportunity to connect with Chicago-area meeting planners and highlight the benefits of VCB services.
  
  
• (Photo 2) ASTA Trade Show and Client Luncheon, April 29: Jennifer Walla, VCB, showcased the destination to travel advisors at the ASTA South Florida Chapter Luncheon and sponsored a client table for nine travel advisors in Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton. The show featured a trade show format followed by a sponsor table presentation, where Walla connected with 79 travel advisors.
  
  
• (Photos 3-5) East Coast Florida Travel Agency Sales Mission, April 29-30: Jennifer Walla & Natalie Duran, VCB; Lucie Wirgin, Holiday Inn Express Fort Myers Airport; Gina Santoro, Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina; Dayla Rumpf, Sea Gypsy Vacations/Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce; Kayla McCurry, Florida Repertory Theatre; and Anthonio Perez, Brightwater Lagoon, promoted the destination to 29 travel agencies, including AAA offices in Aventura, Boca Raton, Bonita Springs, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami, Naples and Palm Beach.

International sales activities

Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) Travel Expo, April 27: Jeanette Faria, VCB Canada, participated in the one-day travel expo, engaging with some of the 1,200 attendees who shared stories of recent visits and expressed interest in booking future trips, especially for next winter.

June sales events

Communications team activities

Rotating panels include: 

(Panel 1) AGLOW Media Group, May 12-19: Eight outdoor writers who are members of the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) participated in a press trip. AGLOW is an organization of content creators and tourism professionals who work together to promote the conservation and responsible use of our outdoor resources.

Thank you to our industry partners, including:

• Edison and Ford Winter Estates
• Endless Summer Charters
• Ford's Garage, downtown
• Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Fort Myers
• Homes2 Suites by Hilton Fort Myers Airport
• Key West Express
• South Seas
• Tarpon Lodge & Restaurant

(Panel 2) UK, Ireland & Scandinavia Group Press Trip, May 17-21: Five travel writers from Denmark, Ireland, Scotland and the UK experienced the destination, including the water tower at Cabbage Key.  

Thank you to our industry partners, including:

• Adventure Sea Kayak
• Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium
• Bruno's of Brooklyn
• Captiva Cruises
• Doc Ford's Rum Bar
• Luminary Hotel & Co.
• Margaritaville Beach Resort
• Off the Leash Charters
• Old Captiva House
• River District Alliance
• Sundial Beach Resort & Spa
• Swamp Cat Brewing Company
• Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant

Communications earned media results

June paid media placements

As we move through the latter part of FY24/25 Q2, our marketing efforts are strategically focused on driving interest and visitation during the summer. These initiatives are designed to engage both in-state and out-of-state audiences, while also supporting the groups/meetings business. 

Below is a snapshot of our upcoming paid media placements set to launch in June 2025.

Consumer:

• Dotdash Meredith – print
• Clear Channel – consumer

Meetings, weddings, travel trade:

• Corporate & Incentive Travel – email, display, print
• Honeyfund – social
• Bridal Guide – social

Visitor Services activities

Rotating photo panels include: 

• (Panel 1) We celebrated National Alligator Day on May 29 with Tourism Ambassadors greeting visitors and residents at RSW in fun alligator gear.

• (Panel 2) Our Tourism Ambassador assisted at FineMark USTA Women’s Pro Tennis at Bonita Bay, 2025 Agent Rise Summit at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center and Destinations Florida Marketing Summit at the Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village.

VCB wraps up National Travel and Tourism Week 

While National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) is officially over, we wanted to share some of the successes, by the numbers: 

• Social posts on Instagram and Facebook: 7,471 total views
  
  
• Take Me Out To Fort Myers: So far, the sing-along video, featuring many of our industry partners, has received more than 5,800 views. The video was also shown on the jumbotron at Lee Health Sports Complex / Hammond Stadium on May 7 for Islands Night.

Media coverage:

• Gulf Coast News Lee County landmarks glow blue for National Travel and Tourism Week
• Fox 4 SWFL LIGHTING UP LEE: County lights up blue for National Tourism Week
• Cape Coral Breeze ‘Light up Lee’ to spotlight tourism’s impact
• North Fort Myers Neighbor ‘Light up Lee’ to spotlight tourism’s impact
• Gulfshore Business Lee County landmarks to shine blue during Travel and Tourism Week
• Spotlight on Florida: Florida Tourism Leaders Celebrate Travel & Tourism Week - Lee County Lights Up Blue - How Do You Celebrate?