A new year brings new energy and new opportunities to share the Sarasota County story. One of our most impactful tools, the 2026 Visitor Guide, is now in circulation and helping inspire travelers, planners, and media with vibrant imagery, local insight, and unforgettable experiences.

As we refresh website articles, pitch stories to media, and roll out new social content, we’re also gathering new images from our partners to support these efforts. This is a great opportunity to highlight what makes your business or organization unique. If you have high-quality photos that showcase your experiences, events, or offerings, we want to see them!  

📸 Submit your images here: www.VisitSarasotaPhotos.com

~Your Marketing and Partnership Teams

There’s still availability throughout the year in Visit Sarasota’s monthly eNewsletters and Custom Dedicated Emails, reaching 73,000 opted-in subscribers who actively engage with Sarasota travel content. Reserving early ensures you get the timing and placement that best supports your goals — whether that’s a seasonal push, an event promotion, or year-round visibility.

Need to get a jump on Q1? VisitSarasota.com banner ads, Featured Business Listings, and other high-performing digital programs offer outstanding targeted reach to travelers already planning their Sarasota getaways.

Email placements and premium digital inventory are limited. To check availability or reserve your spot, contact: 

Andy Roberts — sales@visitsarasota.org

And remember, partners receive a special rate on all advertising opportunities.

Spring Trip Inspiration

Help us inspire spring itineraries: what should visitors see, taste, or experience while they’re here?

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

Instagram Hashtag Updates

Instagram is updating the number of hashtags that you can include in a caption for a reel or post to 5. They find that using fewer (up to 5), more targeted hashtags rather than many generic ones can improve both your content's performance and people's experience on Instagram. 

Tips for Optimal Hashtag Use

👍 Be intentional with the hashtags you include and focus on ones that are relevant to the content you're publishing. For example, if you're a restaurant, use food-related hashtags to help people interested in food content find you. 

🙅‍♀️ Don't spam your caption with too many irrelevant or generic hashtags, like #reel or #explore. Those type of hashtags don't actually help your content appear in places like Explore and could, in fact, hurt your content's performance. 

Global Media Spotlight: Florida & Sarasota Shine – December PR Highlights

In December, international media coverage continued to elevate Florida—and the Sarasota area in particular—as a must-visit destination for 2025, reaching millions of potential travelers across key markets. Coverage highlighted beautiful beaches, affordable getaways, family-friendly experiences, and the unique culture that sets Florida apart.

 

Major U.S. media outlets spotlighted Florida as one of the most desirable destinations for the year ahead, featuring hidden gems, warm-weather escapes, and unforgettable coastal experiences.

• 19 total articles; 160+ million potential audience reached

Featured Highlights:

Southern Living showcased Siesta Key for its powder-soft sand and stunning sunsets, inspiring beach-loving travelers.

Forbes named Florida among the most popular destinations for 2025, based on Google travel search data—reinforcing strong demand and traveler interest.

In Canada, coverage connected Florida travel with pop culture, highlighting towns made famous by iconic movie scenes and attracting entertainment-driven travelers.

• 1 article; 6.1 million potential audience reached

Featured Highlight:

WorldAtlas featured four Florida towns where famous movies were filmed, driving curiosity and travel inspiration.

German media coverage emphasized Sarasota and Florida’s Gulf Coast as ideal destinations for beach lovers, nature seekers, and families, while also highlighting unique American traditions and culture.

• 9 total articles; 4.7+ million potential audience reached

Featured Highlights:

A high-reach cultural feature in Rheinische Post on New Year’s traditions in the U.S. increased awareness of Florida’s vibrant local experiences.

A family-focused travel article in Frankfurter Rundschau positioned Florida’s Gulf Coast as an ideal vacation destination for all ages.

 

View all media coverage from this December: https://visitsarasota.softr.app/pr-mentions

 

Local Media

Our Partnership & Sports teams pitch local journalists, freelancer writers, and publications to strengthen understanding and appreciation for Sarasota County's powerhouse tourism industry among residents and local businesses alike.

 

Visit Sarasota County ended the calendar year with fireworks and a flurry of local coverage. Continued coverage of our Haley Hall of Fame Awards coupled with new reporting on our winter seasonal marketing campaign, October tourism data, and high-profile sports competitions coming to the area. Our recent collection of meetings industry accolades received favorable coverage in several publications. Our President & CEO Erin Duggan's op-eds in SRQ Magazine and the Herald-Tribune repositioned high season through the lens of economic impact and TDT collections.

Local PR by the Numbers

Total articles: 33

Total potential audience: 32,000,000 impressions.

Top Local Stories

Sarasota's October Tourism Data

Sarasota room prices climb but is tourism revenue up? What we know

Tourism outlook expects visitors leveling off in 2026 | Your Observer

ERIN DUGGAN: Here's why we can be grateful for the high tourist season

Mountaineers to Compete at CSCAA Open Water Championship

Florida State Softball to Play in Inaugural Sarasota College Softball Classic in 2027

 

If you’d like to receive a full comprehensive report of this month’s local media coverage, please reach out to us at partnership@visitsarasota.org.

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

Recent digital and print ads. 

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. 

In December 2025:

*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!