RSW Draws Travelers

HELLO, I'M JENNIFER CRAWFORD. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. SPRING TOURISM SEASON HAS PASSED IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. NOW THE REGION IS PREPARING TO CELEBRATE THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY, BUT A NEW REPORT SAYS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RANKS AT THE BOTTOM OF MIDSIZED METRO AREAS FOR AIRPORT TRAVEL OVER JULY 4TH WEEKEND. THAT'S COMPARED TO OTHER DAYS OF THE YEAR. RESEARCHERS AT LUXURY LAKE SAY RSW RANKED LAST OUT OF 72 MIDSIZED METRO AREAS FOR THE CHANGE IN DAILY ARRIVALS DURING THE 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND OVER 3 YEAR PERIOD. THAT'S WHEN COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE DAILY ARRIVALS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR AT RSW. IN THE MEANTIME, RSW REPORTED A RECORD SETTING MONTH IN MARCH FOR THE SINGLE BUSIEST MONTH IN AIRPORT HISTORY. ALSO 2025 HAD A RECORD NUMBER OF TRAVELERS WITH MORE THAN 11 BILLION. IT AS WGCU’S YOUN-JOO PARK REPORTS, RSW IS WORKING TO GIVE TRAVELERS EVEN MORE REASONS TO FLY OUT OF FORT MYERS. >> I WAS IN NEW YORK MAYBE 6 MONTHS AGO AND I SAW THESE HUGE BILLBOARDS FOR TAMPA SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FREEZING RIGHT NOW IN NEW YORK CITY AND TAMPA. YOU BE LAYING ON THE BEACH. AND SO IN FLORIDA, THERE'S COMPETITION FOR THOSE DOLLARS AS REGIONS THROUGHOUT FLORIDA ARE VYING FOR THE ATTENTION OF TRAVELERS WORLDWIDE. >> SOUTHWEST FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS FIGURING OUT WAYS TO STAND OUT FROM ITS COMPETITORS. THAT INCLUDES A GRAND STRATEGIC PLAN FOR AS EXPLAINED BY STEPHEN HENNIGAN, CCO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LEE COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY. THE FIRST PART OF THE PLAN IS THE EXPANSION OF THE AIRPORT'S FACILITIES THAT CONSTRUCTION IS WELL UNDERWAY. >> WE'RE ADDING APPROXIMATELY 800,000 SQUARE FEET. SO THE NEXT 2, 2, AND A HALF YEARS. THE SIZE OF THIS AIRPORT IS GOOD, ESSENTIALLY DOUBLE. >> THE SECOND PART ENTAILS AN EXPANSION OF THE AIRPORT'S FLIGHT TO MAKE A CASE TO AIRLINES THAT MORE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE LOCATIONS ARE NEEDED. THE AIRPORT MUST DEMONSTRATE PUBLIC DEMAND, HOWEVER, HENNIGAN SAYS THIS IS WHAT ALSO REQUIRES ASSISTANCE FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS. >> PEOPLE LIKE DIRECT FLIGHTS, BUT WHAT PEOPLE DON'T ACCOUNT FOR IS ALL OF THOSE AIRPORTS, MIAMI, TAMPA, FORT LAUDERDALE TO 2 HOUR DRIVE. YOU'RE PAYING FOR GAS. YOU'RE PAYING PARKING. THAT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE. >> HE SAYS THE CONVENIENCE OF USING OTHER FLORIDA AIRPORTS IS AN ILLUSION OR >> IF YOU'D LIKE TO GET TO THE AIRPORT 2 HOURS EARLY. NOW YOU'RE LEAVING, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY 5 HOURS BEFORE WHEN YOU COULD JUST COME INTO RSW HOPPED ON A FLIGHT RIGHT HERE, BEEN THROUGH SECURITY. EXTREMELY QUICK COMPARED TO SOME OF THOSE LARGER AIRPORTS. YOU MAY HAVE A CONNECTION YOU MIGHT NOT. BUT EVEN IF YOU DID IT, YOU KNOW, FROM UP FROM A COST STANDPOINT, FROM A TIME STANDPOINT, WHEN YOU DO THE MATH, A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE BETTER OFF USING LOCAL. >> YET ANOTHER ADVANTAGE, ACCORDING TO HEAD AGAIN, IS THAT BY USING THE LOCAL AIRPORT, RESIDENTS ARE HELPING TO BOLSTER THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER RICK LOCASTRO CONFIRMS THIS FACT. >> IF ALL THE SNOW BIRDS ONE AWAY AND ALL THE TOURISM ONE WAY OR WAS GREATLY REDUCED, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GO DOWN TO 5TH AVENUE AND ENJOY WHAT WE GET TO ENJOY ON A REGULAR BASIS AND ULTIMATELY. >> THE ADVANTAGES OF THE RSW AIRPORT ALL REINFORCE ONE. ANOTHER UP. >> THE MORE DIRECT FLIGHTS THAT ARE HERE MEANS MORE EMPLOYEES AT THE AIRPORT MEANS MORE MONEY INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY MEANS, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY MORE MORE PEOPLE WILL, YOU KNOW, UTILIZE THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. >> ACCORDING TO HEAD AGAIN, THERE ARE SNOWBALL EFFECTS BECAUSE THE AIRPORT CAN POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, WHICH WOULD LEAD TO MORE TRAVELERS VISITING THE REGION, WHICH STAND WITH LEADS TO LOCAL BUSINESSES FLOURISHING AND THEN ENABLE THEIR AIRPORT TO BE COMPETITIVE AND EXPANDING AIRLINE DESTINATION OFFERINGS FOR WGCU NEWS, I’M YOUN-JOO PARK