Another Great Season in the Books!
The red tide of last year was a struggle, to say the least. This year, we’re thrilled to have had a tremendously successful tourist season. According to a recent article by the Herald Tribune, “Last year’s red tide bloom devastated not only marine life in the region — it also hurt restaurants, hotels, vacation rentals, water sport equipment sellers and other businesses that rely on the quality of Gulf waters to boost their bottom line.”
According to Beth Owen-Cipielewski, owner of Siesta Key Oyster Bar, season started earlier this year around February 1, when it typically falls two weeks later on February 15. She was quoted in the Herald Tribune stating, “It caught us off guard for a couple of days — it definitely started earlier than usual — but we’re still going strong,” she said. “Thank you Lord, thank you Lord, thank God, that’s all I can say.” Needless to say, Beth is grateful for a strong season.
Herald Tribune also stated, January was a bit slow as hotel occupancy, room rates, revenue per available room and visitorship were all down compared to the same month the year before. However, Sarasota County also saw a 3.6% percent increase in visitation in February, although hotel occupancy for that month remained flat compared to February 2018.
The average daily room rate decreased in Sarasota by slightly more than 4%, however, this is not due to a decrease in tourism, but Visit Sarasota County President, Virginia Haley said it had to do with all the new hotel inventory that came on line last year. If you have visited downtown Sarasota or driven through University Town Center lately, you know what she’s referring to.
An interesting part of the growth can be attributed to the Visit Sarasota campaign with a local public relations firm in Ohio. They pitched stories about the new Allegiant Air flights to the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in the middle of January. They also filled a glass truck with sand, beach chairs, and beach balls that drove around promoting Sarasota county.
For additional information on the real estate industry in either Sarasota or Manatee counties, feel free to contact us directly at BrandyCoffey941@gmail.com or 941.404.4737.