Tourism industry reinvestment bodes well for future travel season
To the editor:
While the coming months are historically the slowest travel months of the year, Lee County is celebrating a strong season to date and witnessing hopeful signs of reinvestment that signal optimism for the coming visitation season.
Business leaders are opening new restaurants and property managers are renovating accommodations across the county. Along the McGregor Boulevard corridor, the Lazy Flamingo restaurant recently opened near College Parkway, and a new restaurant, Cristof’s on McGregor, is under construction at the intersection with Royal Palm Square Boulevard.
Coastal accommodations and inland properties alike are launching renovations that include room upgrades and exterior enhancements. Properties with reinvestment plans in the works include the Island Inn, Sanibel Inn, Song of the Sea, Seaside Inn, Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, Ocean’s Reach Gulf Front Condominiums Resort and Holiday Inn Downtown Historic District.
These are very positive signs that will impact next year’s travel season. The Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau wants to capitalize on this progress with an international and national media campaign to promote the many changes, renovations and upgrades that are taking place. But we can’t do it without your help. We need some details about each and every upgrade made, underway or planned. One renovation by itself isn’t as strong a message as the amount of reinvestment planned collectively.
If you have recently renovated your property, or have plans for upgrades anytime between now and the end of 2012, please let us know. It will make the story stronger for the destination as a whole, and we will be pleased to promote your plans. We intend to send out a news release to media locally, nationally and abroad. Please email your plans to wrenda@goodwyncommunications.com by July 30.
The reinvestment in accommodations, attractions and tourism-related businesses along The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel is an important story that we are eager to tell, and now’s the time to tell it.
Tamara Pigott
Lee VCB Executive Director