Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Indicators & Insights Summit this week. It was incredible to see so many of you there – more than 170 partners in total – engaging with our speakers and connecting with our agencies. We hope you left feeling informed and inspired for the year ahead, especially with the reminder that tourism works FOR you – just as it much as it works BECAUSE of you.

If you’re looking to stay in the loop on what’s happening with our campaigns, media efforts, PR initiatives, and more, be sure to check out VisitSarasotaCountyTransparency.com or keep an eye on this monthly e-newsletter for ongoing updates.

And don’t forget, we also host quarterly recaps where we dive into visitor metrics, campaign results, and industry insights to keep you informed all year long. Our Tourism U professional development series will also kick back up in the new year..

We’re grateful to continue promoting you as part of our tourism community.

~Hunter Carpenter, Director of Community Relations & Partnership

Seasonal residents are arriving, friends-and-family visitors are booking trips, and travelers are already planning their Sarasota getaways. Next, they’ll be using our channels to decide where to stay, eat, and play. Now’s the perfect time to lock in your 2026 visibility with Visit Sarasota’s advertising programs.

From year-round, always-on exposure to seasonal or quarterly campaign boosts, we will shape a plan that aligns with your goals and your budget.

If you’d like available dates or a customized 2026 recommendation, feel free to reach out anytime: Andy Roberts — sales@visitsarasota.org

New Year, New Adventures

Are you launching a new exhibit, rolling out a fresh menu, hosting a winter event, or just leveling up in 2026? Let us know!

Share images or videos for a chance to be featured on our social channels.

Have a shopping spree you want everyone to know about? Our local PR team has received heightened interest in how residents can shop and support local during the holiday season – and we want to include you in their wrap ups. 

You can make sure we’re in the know by:

1. Adding your deal or happening to our Fun in the 941 programming.

-Log into the Partner Portal → Collateral → Special Offers

-Add your photo (a must!)

-Please allow several business days for approval

2. Sharing the latest about your business with pitchus@visitsarasota.org

Help us showcase your holiday offerings and ensure local shoppers know exactly where to find you.

Let’s flood LinkedIn with joy — the Sarasota way! This season, we’re combining two reasons to celebrate: the #JoyInThe941 Challenge and the #SavorThe941 dining movement.

Here’s how to join in:

• Celebrate joy at your business — from team milestones to customer surprises or just that everyday good-vibe moment.

• Support a local restaurant — grab lunch, dinner, or coffee somewhere in Sarasota County between now and December 20.

• Share it on LinkedIn! Tag @Visit Sarasota County and use the hashtags #JoyInThe941 and #SavorThe941 to spread the cheer.

Let’s turn joy and local flavor into a movement — one LinkedIn post (and one delicious bite) at a time.

Google is rolling out new AI features that change how visitors discover Sarasota County and there are some easy wins for our local partners! Here are the big takeaways from a recent “Destination Discovery in AI-Powered Search” webinar.

AI is putting local content front and center

Travelers are now seeing richer visuals, quick summaries, and highlighted events right in search results. The more complete and engaging your online presence is, the more likely you are to surface in these new experiences.

Fresh content = better visibility

Keep your Google Business Profile and website updated with:

Current photos

Seasonal offerings

Upcoming events

Unique touches that make your business special

Even small updates help Google understand what you offer.

Events and short videos are BIG in discovery

Google is pulling event details and video-style content into search more than ever. Sharing clear event info, and even quick, authentic videos, can boost your visibility.

Need help with your Google Business Profile? Check out the Help Center.

Sarasota Shines in the Spotlight – September PR Highlights

In October, Lou Hammond Group’s strategic media efforts continued to elevate Sarasota’s national and international visibility, with strong placements across top-tier travel and lifestyle outlets.

A standout feature in Travel + Leisure named Sarasota among the “18 Best Places to Travel in November,” spotlighting iconic attractions like The Ringling and St. Armands Circle. Additionally, JustLuxe published a story following Adria Valdes’s visit to the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, profiling the property in “Family Gulf Coast Getaway: Discovering the St. Regis Longboat Key.”

Beyond LHG-driven placements, Sarasota earned additional national exposure in Forbes and Only in Your State, with stories highlighting the region’s arts and culture, fine dining, outdoor recreation, and award-winning beaches. Collectively, October coverage reached more than 59 million readers, reinforcing Sarasota County’s reputation as a destination blending natural beauty, cultural richness, and upscale hospitality.

October National PR by the Numbers

2 Stories from LHG pitching efforts

12.9M+ impressions*

4 Stories total across national publications

*Impressions are based on unique monthly visitors (UMVs) and print circulation.

Top National Features

Travel + Leisure – 18 Best Places to Travel in November

Forbes – 25 Best Places To Enjoy Your Retirement In 2025: Walla Walla And Other Top Spots

Only in Your State – 7 Florida Tourist Spots I Tried to Hate (But Ended Up Loving)

JustLuxe – Family Gulf Coast Getaway: Discovering the St. Regis Longboat Key

 

International PR Coverage

United Kingdom

October’s UK coverage highlighted Sarasota’s arts and culture, beaches, and seasonal attractions, with features in lifestyle and travel publications emphasizing the destination’s European-inspired charm and diverse visitor appeal.

Germany

In Germany, stories showcased Sarasota’s golf experiences, art and culture, and family-friendly coastal escapes, alongside proactive coverage around Mote SEA’s grand opening.

Together, 15 international stories — including proactive placements from Gosh PR — generated 2.3M+ impressions, continuing to build Sarasota’s global reputation as a vibrant, multifaceted Gulf Coast destination.

October’s coverage solidified Sarasota County’s profile as a year-round destination, known for its world-class culture, culinary scene, and luxurious coastal experiences.

 

Local Media

October brought robust media visibility for Visit Sarasota County. Local outlets showcased VSC initiatives from the debut of The Local Bite dining campaign and expansion of our leadership team to the announcement of our Haley Hall of Fame nominees and the upcoming Indicators & Insights Summit. Stories also spotlighted Sarasota’s continued role as a premier sports destination, including the return of major events like the Benderson Chase and the Dragon Boat National Championship, alongside community optimism for the coming visitor season.

October Local PR by the Numbers: 32 stories garnered 12.1 million impressions.

Top Local Stories

At Visit Sarasota County, tourism is the 'front porch of economic development' | Indicators

Storm-weary businesses anticipate return to normal season | Your Observer

The Dragon Boat National Championship returns to Nathan Benderson Park

Siesta Beach returns to the top of the rankings | Your Observer

A Forward Look for Sarasota With Suzanne Hackman - SRQ Daily Oct 6, 2025

Visit Sarasota County expands leadership team, announces promotions

 

Don’t forget to tell us your story at pitchus@visitsarasota.com

Highlights from FY25

This year, thanks to new funding, we are utilizing a platform called Zartico to analyze visitor movement and spend. These insights along with data from our research firm, Downs and St. Germain, will give us a deeper understanding of our visitor and help us market to them more effectively. 

*Data from Zartico comes from a sample size of credit card spending and cell phone geolocation data. To be considered a visitor for credit card spend data, the billing zip code needs to be out of the area. For location data, it is where the cell phone has been overnight the most in the last 30 days (it's home location). 

This email goes to everyone on the Marketing and Communications team to keep us in the loop of all the great things you are doing!