Last month, our team was proud to participate in the IPW in Fort Lauderdale, hosted by the U.S. Travel Association—the travel industry’s premier international marketplace for driving inbound visitation to the United States. We had three team members in attendance, each focused on different meetings that help generate business for Sarasota County, and were thrilled to be joined by two valued partners, Ocean Properties and Dolphin Transportation.

I participated in meetings with U.S. Travel Association leadership and the Board of Delegates, as well as briefings from Nick Adam and Andrew Giuliani on topics including the upcoming World Cup and its anticipated impact on tourism to the United States. Kelly M. Harb, CMP conducted meetings with travel media from around the globe to generate earned media opportunities, while Suzanne Scully Hackman, CDME and our partners met with tour operators to help secure future visitation and business for our region.

In service,

Erin Duggan, CDME - President & CEO

Friendly reminder that your referrals matter! Recommend a local business to our partner program and share this information with partnership@visitsarasota.org, and for every successful referral that completes the onboarding process (including payment), you’ll receive rewards – including a comped partnership after 3 referrals!

We’ve launched an Events webpage where you can RSVP for all our latest happenings—for B2B events, Partner Office Hours, and signature events. We highly recommend bookmarking it, so you always stay in the know.

As one of our valued partners, your insights help shape the programs, marketing opportunities, networking events, and professional development resources we provide throughout the year. Please take 5–10 minutes to complete our Annual Partner Survey and tell us about your experience. Your feedback directly influences how we strengthen and grow our partnership program.

GIVEAWAY PACKAGE

After submitting the survey, you'll have the option to enter a separate giveaway form for a chance to win an exclusive advertising package valued at $1,800, including:

12-month featured listing on VisitSarasota.com

E-Newsletter spotlight (reaching an audience of 73K)

Survey Deadline: July 10

Grateful for our partnership and for the continued opportunity to promote your business to our millions of visitors, and residents, year-round. 

Running June 1 through November 30, hurricane season has arrived again and our team at Visit Sarasota County is prepared to assist you and your business, come crisis or calm.  

What’s Our Role

While emergency services lead the response, Visit Sarasota County supports efforts by assessing the situation, adjusting messaging, and partnering with other regional tourism bureaus to ensure a coordinated response and resume promotions only when the community is safe and ready to welcome visitors. We maintain a crisis communications plan that guides business continuity and community safety before, during, and after disasters—including hurricanes, red tide, pandemics, and more. This plan—currently being revised by our team as part of an annual process for the 2026 Hurricane Season—helps us collaborate with lodging partners, track room availability for emergency use, and support businesses in local aid efforts.

How Can You Prepare

During emergencies, your safety, along with that of our community and visitors, are our top priorities. We thank you for taking these proactive steps this summer to ensure you’re ready this Hurricane Season.

USA TODAY 10BEST is thrilled to report that Sarasota, FL represents 1 of the nominees competing in the Readers’ Choice Awards.

Best Buffet Restaurant

• Der Dutchman

Readers can vote once per day for each award until voting ends on Monday, June 15th at 11:59am EDT. The top 10 winners, as ranked by USA TODAY 10BEST readers, will be announced on Wednesday, June 24th at noon EDT.

Lucky 8 was awarded The MICHELIN Bib Gourmand Award, a special distinction recognizing restaurants that serve high-quality food at great value. 

Visit Sarasota County is honored to be recognized by Smart Meetings as the Best Beach CVB/DMO AND Best Waterfront CVB/DMO in their 2026 Smart Stars Awards, celebrating the dedication that makes Florida’s Cultural Coast® such a standout destination for meetings and events.

Hunter Carpenter and Jess Bertolini join in the fun at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport’s celebration of Allegiant’s 5 millionth passenger to SRQ—who was greeted on the tarmac with a voucher for free flights for a year!

Group Sales Manager Shantel Norman spent a day with the Prestige Presidents Club at the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, entertaining and educating their Presidents Club—planners that bring in $3.5 million in business a year—about Sarasota County as a meetings destination.

Pete Harvey and Nate Sweetman of VSC’s Sports Team helped host the first dedicated 17th Street Regional Park FAM, showcasing the future state-of-the-art softball and multi-sport complex to event organizers and partners from across the industry.

The courtyard came alive to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week in the courtyard of The Ringling Museum. Over 200 attendees joined to honor Sarasota’s history, tourism industry, and the centennials and milestones that continue to shape our destination. The greatest night in travel also included naming and celebrating the 2026 Voice of Sarasota, Maestro Victor DeRenzi. It truly was a roaring good time!

June brings another exciting month of championship competition to the region, highlighted by nationally recognized events in rowing, swimming, soccer, and baseball that continue to showcase Sarasota County as a premier destination for amateur and youth sports.

The month is headlined by the return of the 2026 USRowing Youth National Championships (June 11-14) at Nathan Benderson Park. Following recognition as SportsTravel’s “Best Amateur Sporting Event” in 2023 and 2024, and Florida’s “Best Awarded Event of the Year” in 2024, the 31st edition of this prestigious regatta is expected to welcome more than 5,300 participants and over 6,800 spectators, both projected to set new event benchmarks. Extensive national coverage, including live and post-event broadcasts, will further elevate Sarasota’s reputation as one of the nation’s top rowing destinations.

Immediately following Youth Nationals, the 2026 USRowing Youth Beach Sprint National Championships (June 15-17) will take place at South Lido Beach for the second consecutive year. This rapidly growing discipline, set to debut at the LA28 Olympics, will bring approximately 200 athletes from around 20 clubs for what is expected to be the largest youth beach sprint regatta ever held in the United States. New high-performance divisions added for 2026 will further elevate the competition and showcase future Olympic-level talent on Sarasota’s shoreline.

Swimming also remains a major focus throughout the month at the Selby Aquatic Center. The Shark Open (June 11-14) will welcome more than 700 youth swimmers and over 800 spectators for a high-energy summer meet, while the 2026 Bumpy Jones Classic Long Course Meet (June 20-21) brings adult swimmers together to honor the legacy of 1952 Olympian Burwell “Bumpy” Jones through a nationally sanctioned masters competition hosted by Sarasota Sharks Masters.

On the soccer side, Premier SuperCopa 2026 (June 18-21) takes over the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch. Known as “America’s Championship,” the elite U9-U12 national event is expected to attract more than 3,200 athletes and approximately 9,500 spectators for a jam-packed weekend of high-level youth soccer competition.

Closing out the month, the Florida Babe Ruth South State Tournament (June 25-28) returns to Babe Ruth Park, welcoming district champions from across South Florida to compete in the 13U, 14U, and 16U divisions. The annual baseball championship is expected to draw more than 400 participants and over 2,000 spectators, continuing Sarasota’s strong tradition of hosting premier youth baseball events.

Together, June’s lineup reflects the continued growth, diversity, and national reach of sports throughout the region.

Join us for our Vacation and Short-Term Rental Partner Gathering on June 25 from 2pm–3:30pm at Mellow Mushroom. We’ll share the latest visitor trends, gather your feedback, and open the floor for your insights and ideas on how we can best support your success. If there is a specific topic you would like to discuss, let us know!

What makes your business unique?
What makes our business unique is our personalized approach to both guest experiences and property management. We combine local knowledge, responsive service, and carefully maintained vacation homes to create seamless stays for guests while helping property owners confidently manage and promote their investments. From seasonal promotions and repeat guest discounts to home watch services and local recommendations, we focus on building lasting relationships and delivering a higher level of care.

What would visitors find interesting/intriguing about your business?
Visitors are often interested to learn that we focus on creating more than just accommodations. We create relaxing and personalized coastal getaways. From carefully selected vacation homes and personalized guest service to local recommendations and seasonal specials, we help guests enjoy the best of Sarasota and the surrounding beach communities like a local.

Do you offer specials and/or any special events?
We offer seasonal promotions and special discounts throughout the year, giving guests even more opportunities to plan the perfect getaway, and we proudly reward our loyal returning guests with exclusive repeat guest discounts.

How long have you been in operation?
10 years

What are you currently working on/developing that you want to share and/or partner with other local businesses on?
We are celebrating one year at our office located at 128 S. Pineapple Ave. and have loved being in the heart of downtown Sarasota and part of such a vibrant community. In addition to vacation rental management, we also offer reliable home watch services for homeowners throughout Sarasota and Siesta Key.

If you could describe what you do in one sentence, what would it be?
We are a locally focused vacation rental and property management company dedicated to creating exceptional guest stays while providing trusted, personalized service for property owners.

What do you value most about your VSC partnership?
The connections with other professionals in our community and the events that VSC hosts help create valuable opportunities to build relationships, collaborate, and stay engaged within the local business community.

Interacted with 3,141 visitors and residents at the Visitors Centers.

Mailed and distributed 469 Visitor Guides and mailed 66 Relocation Packets.

Created 287 info bags for various groups.