We know it is peak season and you're probably too busy right now for another email, so we'll keep this short. 😆 

Thank you for everything you’re doing to welcome visitors and keep Sarasota County shining this time of year!

When you do get a breather, keep a couple things on your radar: National Travel & Tourism Week Celebration on May 7th and Savor Sarasota in June. Two great opportunities to celebrate our industry and highlight the amazing dining and experiences across the destination.

~ Your Marketing and Partnership Teams

Summer travel planning is already underway, and visitors are starting to map out their Sarasota getaways.

To help partners stay visible during this busy planning window, Visit Sarasota is offering a May–July Summer Advertising Package designed to put your business in front of travelers while they’re deciding where to stay, dine, and explore.

The package includes a mix of VisitSarasota.com banner advertising, a placement in the Visit Sarasota consumer e-newsletter (sent to more than 73,000 opted-in travelers), and a social media takeover, giving your business exposure across several of our most effective marketing channels.

- May–July Package: $1,250

- Extend through September for +$950

To reserve a placement or learn more about available dates, contact:
Andy Roberts — andy.roberts@milespartnership.com

Summer Fun 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.

We wanted to flag an award opportunity that could be worth sharing with your restaurant and bar partners (possibly in an upcoming newsletter).

PUNCH is currently accepting nominations for Best New Bartenders of 2026. This year’s program highlights bartenders who not only create exceptional cocktails, but also bring a strong sense of elevated hospitality and make a meaningful impact on their peers, community and the broader industry.

If anyone in your network comes to mind, nominations can be submitted through the application form. Nominees must be based in the United States, at least 25 years old, and cannot be owners or part owners of a bar.

Application deadline: April 3, 2026

Application Page: https://airtable.com/appiQExZUUD84gOVE/shr5jzX4oernmluIo

Protect Your Brand on Facebook & Instagram

We recently had a reminder of how important it is to protect your brand online. Thanks to a partner who flagged an Instagram account using our logo as their profile pic, we discovered Meta’s Brand Rights Protection tool. After submitting a report with our trademark documentation, the account was reviewed and removed in less than 10 hours.

If your business has a registered trademark, you may be eligible to use Brand Rights Protection to monitor Facebook and Instagram for accounts, ads, posts, or Marketplace listings that misuse your brand or impersonate your business. The tool lets you search for potential violations and quickly submit takedown requests if needed.

If you currently use Meta Business Suite to manage your Facebook and Business accounts, learn more about the tool or apply for access.

It’s one of those resources you hope you never need, but it’s great to know it’s there.

Global Media Coverage Highlights – February

This month’s earned media coverage generated strong international visibility for Florida’s Gulf Coast and its lesser-known destinations, reaching an estimated 723+ million potential readers worldwide.

In the U.S., coverage focused on Gulf Coast travel and spring getaway inspiration, resulting in 21 total placements, including several high-reach syndicated features such as “8 Underrated Gulf Coast Towns to Visit This Spring,” which appeared across major outlets including Yahoo Life and MSN.

Additional placements in Canada, the UK, and Germany highlighted Florida travel inspiration, weekend getaway towns, and emerging destinations, while also reaching industry audiences through hospitality and travel trade coverage.

To see the full list of this month’s media placements, visit:

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.

February’s local media outreach spanned centennial celebrations to a sports calendar that’s giddying up at Fox Lea Farms as well as Sarasota BMX, the world’s oldest track. Now that we’re actively encouraging sign-ups for Savor Sarasota and ticket sales for National Travel & Tourism Week, expect to see more of these topics covered in regional media in the coming month.

Monthly Local PR by the Numbers

9 stories garnered 841,552 impressions

Top Local Stories

Visitors bureau promotes centennial legacy of Sarasota County | Your Observer

Charlotte, Sarasota county tourism down slightly

Sarasota couple stand side by side with BMX

To see the full list of articles for this month, visit https://visitsarasota.softr.app/local-pr

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

TravelZoo Email, Social and Web Promotion

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 February 2026:

*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!