Travelers have more choices than ever — and more ways to discover them. That makes one thing increasingly important: we have to give them a reason to choose Sarasota County.

That’s where all of us come in.

Visit Sarasota County can build campaigns, generate media attention and reach audiences across digital channels, but the strongest destination marketing starts with what’s happening right here. Your new experiences, special offers, events, milestones and stories are what give travelers something fresh to discover and give our team something meaningful to amplify.

So, keep us in the loop.

Update your Partner Portal. Send us the story you think deserves attention. Take advantage of campaign opportunities and calls for content. Provide us with images. The more we know about what’s happening across our partner community, the more powerfully we can tell Sarasota County’s story.

This newsletter is designed to keep you connected to the opportunities, insights and updates that can help your business get more from its partnership with Visit Sarasota County.

Because ultimately, we’re not just marketing a destination.

We’re building demand for the businesses and experiences that make Sarasota County worth the trip.

Thank you for being part of it.

~ Kelly Harb, Vice President of Marketing & Communications

The September 29 sales deadline is coming up for the 2027 Sarasota County Official Visitors Guide. 

If reaching Sarasota visitors is important to your business, this is one of those advertising opportunities that just makes sense.

Travelers use the Guide to decide where to stay, eat, shop and play, with copies distributed through Sarasota County Visitor Information Centers, SRQ Airport, events, trade shows and more. Plus, a digital version on VisitSarasota.com.

Options range from entry-level Highlighted Photo Listings to quarter-, half- and takeover full-page ads. Space must be reserved by September 29.

And while you're planning ahead, the next few months are also a great time to reserve upcoming consumer e-newsletter dates or start building your 2027 Visit Sarasota advertising plan.

Want rates, availability, or a recommendation? 

Send Andy a quick email to get started: Andy Roberts, Sales@VisitSarasota.org, 941-342-2429

Fall Happenings

We are gearing up for the fall season! Share your inspirational content to get visitors excited and eager to book their trips! 

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

What’s New for 2027 + Holiday Happenings

We’re looking ahead to 2027 and want to hear what’s new with our partners! Share your latest updates, openings, renovations, new experiences, milestone anniversaries and other newsworthy developments that may be a fit for upcoming media pitches.

We’re also gathering holiday events and seasonal happenings taking place throughout Sarasota County, including festive experiences, special programming, performances, markets, dining experiences and more.

Send us your 2027 news and holiday happenings to pitchus@visitsarasota.org so our PR teams can keep them in mind for future media opportunities and story ideas.

Get Your Business Holiday-Ready with Facebook and Instagram

The holidays may still feel a few months away, but now is a good time to start thinking about your seasonal social strategy.

Meta recently launched its Holiday Insights Center, a free resource designed to help small businesses understand how customers are shopping and using social media during the holiday season. Based on research from more than 14,000 holiday shoppers, Meta highlights a few areas businesses can focus on:

Treat your social profiles like a storefront. Keep hours, contact information and other key details current, and use Reels to showcase products, seasonal offerings or behind-the-scenes content.

Make messaging easy. Tools like automated replies and FAQs can help answer common questions when your team isn’t available.

Consider local creator partnerships. Smaller creators with engaged audiences can help introduce your business to potential customers in a more authentic way.

Put AI tools to work. Meta continues to add tools that can help businesses respond to customers, manage campaigns and streamline some of the work that comes with a busy season.

Read more: https://www.facebook.com/business/news/2026-holiday-small-business

Media Wins: Sarasota’s Coastal Charm Captures International Travel Coverage

July’s  PR coverage showcased Sarasota and Florida’s coastal destinations, unique experiences, and wellness offerings, generating significant national visibility and additional exposure in international markets.

21 total articles

358M+ potential audience reached

Highlighted Articles:

US: America's Best Town to Visit 2026 (Welcome to the Circus Capital of the World)— High-impact CNN feature spotlighting Sarasota’s distinctive circus heritage, and accolade for America’s Best Town to Visit 2026.

US: This Florida Beach Town is Famous for Shark Teeth, Dog-Friendly Beaches, and Mediterranean Charm — Widely syndicated MSN feature showcasing Venice and its unique coastal appeal.  

UK: The Surprising Florida Destination Putting Wellbeing First — Consumer travel feature promoting Florida island-hopping

View the full list of articles: 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.

If Visit Sarasota’s local media wins could be summed up in one word for July, it’d be “accolades.” Media eyes were on the prize this past month, the shiniest of them all being CNN Travel’s Best Town to Visit designation, as featured in our President/CEO's monthly op-ed in SRQ Magazine. Others included industry wins from Smart Meetings as well as VSC's former President Virginia Haley induction into Destinations International's coveted Hall of Fame. Calls for nominations for VSC's own Hall of Fame, bearing Virginia’s name, also secured favorable coverage. Full stats and stories below.

Monthly Local PR by the Numbers: 26 stories garnered 4.7 million impressions.

Top Local Stories

Sarasota tourism climbs as CNN names it America's best town

Visitors bureau opens nominations for annual Haley honors | Your Observer

The Story Behind Sarasota's Top Spot in CNN Travel - SRQ Daily Jul 11, 2026

Local tourism official inducted into Hall of Fame | News | yoursun.com

Prospect Wire Hosts 7th Annual National Championship in Sarasota County

Dashboard: We’re capturing our local media wins in an online dashboard viewable to the public and partners, if requested, which is updated in real-time: https://visitsarasota.softr.app/local-pr-coverage-public

Sports Print Placements

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!