"Collaboration, not duplication." It's not exactly a phrase visitors are likely to hear while planning their vacation with Visit Sarasota County, yet it's something that deeply defines our approach to tourism marketing.
As the agency contracted by Sarasota County Government to market our destination, we're entrusted with a small percentage of precious Tourist Development Tax dollars, paid exclusively by visitors and reinvested into amenities enjoyed by all of us year-round. This responsibility means operating efficiently, focusing on our strengths as a bureau, and stretching every dollar to attract tourists who stay longer, spend more, and support our businesses. Doors remain open. Residents stay employed. And partnerships fuel this exchange.
It's in how we're structured, contracted in fact, as a public-private partnership. When the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved our fiscal 2027 budget, we're tasked with matching our public budget with a 10% investment from our private sector. In other words, the 450 business partners who choose to work with us are putting "skin in the game," showing our community's top industry doesn't retain its economic clout thanks to one single entity.
Which is why, for our summer tourism drive, we leaned in fully to our longstanding partnerships with six area Chambers of Commerce that share our goal of furthering economic development throughout the region.
In what we called our "Regional Spotlight Campaign," digital advertising ran in key U.S. markets and captured the attention of potential travelers, directing them to chamber-curated recommendations. This was the result of months of thoughtful discovery and discussion, of asking each Chamber for their creative direction and insights to create a campaign that authentically captured the story of their representative area, using their suggested focus and images.
Englewood embraced an identity of "Refreshingly Real, Authentically Florida." North Port signaled "Ease in Abundance," showcasing Warm Mineral Springs and other natural escapes. Venice's "Unwind and Explore" messaging shined brightly next to photos of Venice Beach. Siesta Key celebrated their recent U.S. News & World Report ranking with the tagline, "Beauty Abounds on the Nation's Best Beach." Longboat Key tapped into coastal charm with "Island Life is Within Reach," leading with images of resorts and shopping. And Greater Sarasota urged visitors, "Don't wait, paradise is only year-round."
The character and charm convinced those a click away from booking a vacation to consider Sarasota County – and the data is in our favor there. Running April through June, the campaign generated 9.5 million impressions and more than 36,000 conversions.
And yet, there was another underlying goal that was equally vital: showcasing our destination as a collection of communities. Believe it or not, we hear all the time that visitors swear they've never been to Sarasota County but share their itinerary, including Siesta Key or Venice. Though this may seem trivial, the more visitors discover, the more reasons they have to come back. Awareness is the first step in a robust process of destination marketing that ends time and again with investment – and if we've done our jobs, reinvestment – in our local quality of life.
The leadership, board, and staff at the Chambers in Englewood, Greater Sarasota, Longboat Key/Lido Key/St. Armands, North Port Area, Siesta Key, and Venice Area have our gratitude for their trust and their openness to yes – collaborate, not duplicate.
Priming this campaign was a 30-day investment with another strategic partnership, this time with the booking platform Expedia to lift properties at the tail-end of peak tourism season. From the end of March through April, nearly 4,400 travelers booked a trip to Sarasota County, amounting to more than 900 hotel room nights and some 5,755 vacation rental room nights, a majority of whom stayed nearly a week. When you crunch the numbers, for every advertising dollar spent, the campaign generated $533 in visitor spending.
This is what we mean when I say we're working efficiently and stretching public dollars that much further. Plus, I'd argue we're still seeing the success of these campaigns extend through the summer. In both May and June, we've seen meaningful increases in visitation and visitor spending, with Sarasota County outpacing many comparable markets.
Tourism succeeds when organizations focus less on competition and instead amplify one another. That's what our Chamber partners demonstrated this summer. That's why "collaboration, not duplication" goes beyond an internal philosophy to serve as a strategy to keep Sarasota County competitive. That's how we steward the public dollar, and trust, into a return on investment that puts local businesses first in line and top of mind for all coming and living in our community.
Erin Duggan is the president and CEO of Visit Sarasota County. She can be reached at 941-955-0991, ext. 108, or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County tourism capitalizes on local partnerships | Indicators