We look forward to listening, planning and celebrating with you in August

This month offers several meaningful opportunities to connect, plan ahead, and recognize the people who make this destination shine. From industry listening sessions and marketing previews to our annual E Awards celebration, August keeps us focused on collaboration, preparation and appreciation.

Looking ahead, we’re getting ready for the return of Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, Sept. 19-28, one of our signature events that continues to grow in popularity and gives us an opportunity to drive September visitation.

VCB Listening Tour: Let’s talk tourism
We’re hitting the road to meet with partners across Lee County this month. These Listening Tour sessions are a chance to sit down with VCB staff and talk about what’s going well, what needs attention and what ideas you have for the future. We hope to see you at one of the sessions below:

• Tuesday, Aug. 5 – Two sessions
  10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Estero Recreation Center
  3-4:30 p.m. | Residence Inn Fort Myers Sanibel - REGISTRATION CLOSED, session is full
  
  
• Wednesday, Aug. 6
  9-10:30 a.m. | The Collaboratory, Fort Myers

2025–26 Co-op Marketing Preview
We invite you to join us in our downtown location on Thursday, Aug. 7, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Lee County Administration East Building, 2201 Second Street, Room 118, for a first look at the VCB’s Cooperative Advertising Program for the upcoming year.

We’ll share details on valuable opportunities across digital, email, travel trade, social media, and more. If you’re interested in participating in the program, please make note of the following:

• Co-op buy-in opens at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, at coop.leevcb.com
• Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis
• Need portal access? Contact Sydney Wilde at swilde@mmgy.com by noon Tuesday, Aug. 19.

Celebrating hospitality: E Awards set for Aug. 22
Now in its 25th year, the Elaine McLaughlin Outstanding Hospitality Awards continue to recognize the individuals who go above and beyond to welcome our visitors.

This year’s event, Hospitality: The Greatest Show on Earth, will take place Aug. 22 at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center. Questions? Contact the VCB's Moira Larkin at mlarkin@leegov.com.

Island Hopper Songwriter Fest tickets on sale
Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, Sept. 19-28, is kicking off its 11th year with a full lineup of special ticketed experiences.

While most Island Hopper shows are free, make plans now to grab your tickets for a unique and up-close performance by the greatest BMI singer-songwriters from Nashville and beyond.

Experiences include:

Sept. 20: BMI singer-songwriter Frank Myers will perform with Cut the Chord String Quartet and Jimmy Nichols at the Captiva Civic Center on Captiva Island.

Sept. 21: Captiva Cruises will host a Songwriter Sunset Cruise. Take in breathtaking views of the Gulf coast while listening to live music from BMI singer-songwriters Ruby Amanfu and Sam Ashworth.

Sept. 22: LOCASH will take the Island Hopper stage in Cape Coral at The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village. Their most recent hit, “Hometown Home,” peaked on the Billboard Country Airplay chart at No. 1. Book the Island Hopper room package deal at islandhopperfest.com to receive tickets included in your stay.

Sept. 23: Take the Songwriter Sunset Cruise with BMI singer-songwriter Allan Bradford aboard the Silver King Watertaxi at The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village in Cape Coral. Limited tickets available. Hotel guests receive free admission. Limited seats available.

Sept. 24: Julianne Ankley and Tim McGeary will perform at the Luminary Hotel & Co.’s Island Hopper Dinner Experience in downtown Fort Myers.

Sept. 24: Americana Community Music Association (ACMA) Showcase at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers will feature a variety of performances including Robert Bidney, Kim Mayfield, Bill Metts, Roy Schneider and Ray Cerbone.

Sept. 25: Essex County will return to perform at Luminary Hotel & Co.’s Island Hopper Dinner Experience in downtown Fort Myers.

Sept. 27: Canvas and Chords lets you immerse yourself in the sounds of BMI singer-songwriters Danny Myrick and Katrina Cain at Alair Custom Homes on Fort Myers Beach while local island artist Lacy McClary paints a custom work of art. Ticket proceeds will support SWFL Reefs.

Sept. 28: Multi-platinum BMI singer-songwriter and Grammy-nominated Chris Young will wrap up Island Hopper with a pool-party performance at Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina on Fort Myers Beach. Young has more than 9 billion global streams and 14 career No. 1 singles.

Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, named one of the Top 5 music fests by USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, gives fans the opportunity to see singer-songwriters perform in smaller venues with a tropical setting as the backdrop.

More than 60 singer-songwriters will be featured in more than 80 performances during the 10-day music fest. Be sure to catch a live Island Hopper performance at these four locations around the Fort Myers area:

• Captiva Island, Sept. 19-21
• Cape Coral, Sept. 22-23
• Downtown Fort Myers, Sept. 24-25
• Fort Myers Beach, Sept. 26-28

For the full lineup, lodging deals and more ticket information, visit IslandHopperFest.com or download the Island Hopper app.

Thank you for your continued commitment to Lee County’s tourism economy. This month offers us a chance to pause, connect and refocus. We hope to see you at one of this month’s events as we listen, learn and keep building a stronger future together.

Restaurants wanted: Serve up support with Sizzle Dining

In the past three years, Sizzle Dining participating restaurants have raised over $100,000 for Blessings in a Backpack SWFL, providing 25,000+ hunger-free weekends for 1,000+ local kids.

Offer a fixed-price menu starting at $19 and be part of a community-wide effort. With every meal sold, $1 feeds a child in need.

Sign up now — #DineWithPurpose.

84.4% of hotels in Lee County are open for business

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: Hotel room supply and demand increased year-over-year by 9.6% and 5.7%, respectively, with revenue up 12.2% compared to May 2024. Source: STR
  
  
• Visitor behavior: Domestic visitors averaged a 3.9-day length of stay in May 2025, a 30% increase year-over-year. Overnight stays accounted for 66.2% of visits. International visitors averaged a 7.4-day length of stay with Canada being the largest market in May 2025. Source: Near
  
  
• Booking pace: Total rooms sold in June increased 15.1% year-over-year. July’s booking pace is currently down 2.8% compared to the same time last year. Furthermore, August bookings are currently pacing approximately 10.3% lower year-over-year. Source: Amadeus
  
  
• Visitor spending: Domestic Visa card spending reached $134.9 million, a 7.1% increase over last year. International Visa card spending decreased by 4.9%, totaling $6.1 million. 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 the 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

Parks, Points & Perks is 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.

E Awards set for Aug. 22 at Caloosa Sound Convention Center

Tourism news

• Allegiant plans several new routes from Fort Myers as well as Punta Gorda to New Orleans
• OISE Restaurant brings Japanese-Italian fusion to downtown Fort Myers
• Mullet tossing contest, pub crawl tournament planned for Fort Myers Beach
• Fort Myers may demolish City of Palms Park, keep facade
• New Cape Coral park makes splash as boaters show up to push for harbor shortcut
• Big plans brewing off SR 80: Water park, hotel and more for LaBelle
• Fort Myers approves culinary district to shake up downtown area
• Sanibel takes action on distressed and damaged properties
• Fort Myers Council to decide on extra floors for downtown hotel
• Historic Arcade complex in Fort Myers restored to former glory 
• Slipaway Food Truck Park & Marina opens as endgame for Cape Coral investors
• Southwest Florida tourism season shows mixed signals in 2025

Shalimar Beach Resort on Sanibel Island

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

Domestic sales activities

Rotating photos include:

• (Photos 1-2) Site Chicago, June 17: Lauren Hyps, VCB, met with Aree Wichman with Prestige; and Charlene Marsalli with Old Republic at SITE Chicago Flamingle Night in Chicago.
  
  
• (Photo 3) HelmsBriscoe Annual Business Conference, June 28-30: Lauren Hyps and Betsy Bush, VCB, attended this year’s HelmsBriscoe Annual Conference (ABC) in Toronto, which is designed to bring together HB Associates and top industry partners to network learn and collaborate. From left: Lauren Hyps, VCB; Amy Martell and Hannah King, both HelmsBriscoe.

International sales activities

Rotating photos include:

• (Photos 1-2) Expipoint Summer Vibes Roadshow, Erfurt, Germany, June 2: Nadia Bourgault, VCB Germany, participated in this event in Erfurt Germany where she had the opportunity to engage with 28 travel agents. Bourgault shared updates on accommodations, outdoor activities, like kayaking and SUP-Yoga, and wildlife experiences.
  
  
• (Photos 3-4) Travel News Market, Helsinki Finland, June 2: Martin Schmidtsdorff and Caroline Werenberg, VCB Scandinavia, attended this travel trade workshop and met with Finnish suppliers. The event included prescheduled meetings and networking sessions.
  
  
• (Photos 5-6) IPW, Chicago, June 14-18: Over the course of three days, the Lee County team engaged with travel professionals and media, holding 148 prescheduled, one-on-one meetings to discuss trends and provide destination insights. IPW reinforces the ongoing commitment to rebuilding and growing international visitation to the destination.
  
  
• (Photo 7) Baxter Media Agents’ Choice Awards Gala, Toronto, June 19: Jeanette Faria, VCB Canada, attended the 25th Annual Baxter Media Agents’ Choice Awards gala with 500 travel industry professionals in attendance to celebrate the winners in 46 categories that were voted on by 7,708 travel advisors across Canada.
  
  
• (Photo 8-9) VISIT FLORIDA Sales Mission and Travel Market Report Tradeshow, Toronto and Ottawa, June 23-25: Jeanette Faria, VCB Canada, attended training and networking events with 60 vetted travel advisors, tour operators, airline partners and OTAs. The tradeshow connected advisors with suppliers for direct industry insights.

August sales events

Communications team activities

Rotating panels include: 

(Panel 1) Mexico VISIT FLORIDA Fam, July 6-12: Travel writer Mariela Gomez of Milenio with her child, Oscar, took a tour of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, led by Adrienne Martin, supervisor of the Slough. Gomez met Marika Weiss, owner of Peter's German Cafe and toured downtown Fort Myers with Lisa Sbuttoni, executive director of Explore Fort Myers. 

Thank you to our industry partners, who were also part of this visit, including:

• Artisan Eatery
• Edison and Ford Winter Estates
• Ella Mae's Diner
• Ford's Garage
• JWB Grill
• Luminary Hotel & Co.
• Margaritaville Fort Myers Beach Resort
• Oxbow Bar & Grill
• Veranda

(Panel 2) Boston Red Sox Media & Sales Event, July 11: Ray Sarracino, VCB, teamed with Betsy Bush, VCB sales, to host Boston-area media during the Tampa Rays-Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Guests included Malcolm Johnson, NBC10; Nicole Oliverio, freelancer, and family; and Roxanne Martinelli, El Planeta. The event also included travel writer Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald. 

(Panel 3) Mitch Maley, The Bradenton Times, July 18-20: Mitch Maley, a novelist and travel writer, visited and wrote a staycation feature showcasing the destination to drive-market readers. 

Thank you to our industry partners, including:

• Bruno's of Brooklyn
• Dixie Fish
• Edison and Ford Winter Estates
• Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
• Nervous Nellie's
• Pincher's
• Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina
• Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center
• Snug Harbor

(Panel 4) iCast Fishing FAM, July 18-21: Jimmy Jacobs, On The Fly South, and Polly Dean, freelance, spent their time fishing for snook along the shorelines of the destination. Thank you to Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille and 'Tween Waters Inn & Marina for their partnership. 

Communications earned media results

August paid media placements

Our efforts in FY24/25 Q4 are largely focused on influencing fall visitation to the destination, as well as supporting the groups and meetings business. With Island Hopper Songwriter Fest kicking off in September, our campaigns are also designed to generate excitement and drive awareness around this signature event. Here is a snapshot of our upcoming paid media placements launching in August.

Consumer:

• Expedia – display, custom content, native
• Florida Sportsman – print, email, display
• Sherman's Travel – co-op
• News-Press – print
• iHeart – audio, streaming audio
• Florida Weekly – print

Meetings, weddings, travel trade:

• Epro Direct – email
• FSAE – display
• Honeyfund – display

International:

• Skyscanner – native, display

Crunch time: Cereal Drive receives support from VCB

VCB staff donated over 100 lbs. of cereal to Community Cooperative’s Cereal Drive last month. Special thanks to two of our hotel partners for donating as well. The donations were part of nearly 1,000 boxes of cereal collected in the Fort Myers area to help feed local families in need. This support is especially important in the summer months when school is out and children don't have access to regular meals at school.