Visitors opt for stays with family over rentals this winter as tourism holds steady
Following two years of record-breaking travel to the community, winter tourism has flattened off.
Visitor numbers and local hotel rates remained steady as the busy season began in early winter, but occupancy rates tracked lower in the Sarasota-Manatee region, local tourism bureaus say.
Tourism in both Sarasota and Manatee counties boomed during the pandemic thanks to relaxed COVID restrictions, recreational amenities, and other outdoor draws.
Local hotel occupancy rates were lower in the fall and into early winter in comparison to the previous year, said Visit Sarasota County CEO Virginia Haley. She noted many visitors to the Suncoast are now laying heads in beds with family members over hotels when compared to the two previous years.
“The biggest generator of visitation was family visiting family members,” Haley said.
Overall, Sarasota County saw over $1.7 billion in visitor spending in the fiscal year 2022, according to the VSC annual report. That included a small increase in international visitors in 2022.
Manatee County focuses on targeted audience
In Manatee County, visitors frequented the cities of Bradenton, Longboat Key and Anna Maria for multiple days in a row, said Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“We are starting to see strong bookings from Europe, from Great Britain and German especially,” Falcione said. “They'll come in mid-summer through the holidays in late 2023. We expect just under 100,000 visitors from the European markets; they spend more money per day and stay longer.”
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The long-time Manatee County tourism leader expects to see up to 6% growth in tourism in 2023 for the county. International visitors are expected to be a large part of the projected growth.
Visitors in Manatee County took 12% more extended trips in 2022 than in 2021. The Bradenton Area Convention Center reports over 3.5 million visitors took an overnight stay, day trip, or family visit to the county between January and December.
The county’s occupancy rates increased by about 6%, creating an influx of hotel rooms in both Manatee and Sarasota Counties over the past year. Approximately 3,500 new hotel rooms have been added across the Suncoast region in the past two years.
Manatee County plans to continue the aggressive approach. One of the county’s biggest projects — an expansion of the Bradenton Area Convention Center and construction of an adjoining Marriott Hotel in Palmetto — is nearing 50% completion and is slated to be open in January 2024. Falcione said the overhaul will help attract high-quality travelers and business owners.
The expansion of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport will also factor into the traffic of visitors in both counties. A steady increase in demand for flights and routes into the region has led to a $165 million expansion already underway.
“That's great for us,” Falcione said. "SRQ airport has helped to increase and rebuild the Midwest market through the airport."
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota, Manatee visitors opt for family stays over hotels
