Benefits Of Tourism

A SURGE IN SPRING TOURISM CONFIRMS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA REMAINS A TOP DESTINATION FOR TRAVELERS. THE LEE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE REPORTS BED TAXES COLLECTED IN APRIL SHOWED EARNINGS OF OVER 9 MILLION DOLLARS. THAT'S ABOUT A 12% INCREASE FROM APRIL OF LAST YEAR. MARCH OF 2026. SAW RECORD-BREAKING NUMBERS FOR SOUTHWEST FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WITH MORE THAN ONE AND-A-HALF MILLION TRAVELERS THAT MAKES IT THE BUSIEST SINGLE MONTH IN THE AIRPORT'S 43 YEAR. HISTORY. >> FOR MORE ON HOW THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IS BENEFITING SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. WE ARE JOINED BY PAMELA JOHNSON. SHE IS THE NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE LEE COUNTY VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY THAT JONATHAN NYCE FOR HAVING ME. JENNIFER, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. NOW WE HAVE SEEN SUCH A HUGE GROWTH IN TOURISM. I BELIEVE OUR STATE. THE LAST REPORTS WERE 140 MILLION VISITORS. WE HAD TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA LAST YEAR ALONE AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG RECIPIENT OF THOSE TOURISTS. AND YOU REALLY FOCUS ON LEE COUNTY. HOW IS THE LEE COUNTY BENEFITING FROM THE TOURISTS THAT ARE THAT ARE COMING INTO THE SUNSHINE STATE. YES, YOU KNOW, JENNIFER >> TOURISM IS REALLY SUCH AN ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND FOR OUR AREA IN PARTICULAR. WE'RE SO BLESSED TO HAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL STATE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO TRAVEL TO END IN VACATION IS HERE AND MAKE MEMORIES WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES. AND AS FAR AS HOW WE'VE BENEFITED, WE JUST CAME OFF OF OUR SEASON. AS YOU KNOW, OUR PEAK SEASON AND WE DID VERY, VERY WELL OVER A MILLION VISITORS BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH, WHICH, OF COURSE, TRANSLATES THOSE VISITORS TURNED TO TRANSLATE INTO JUST AN ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE. IN TERMS OF THAT IMPACT, THEY LEFT OUR COMMUNITY WITH FROM THEIR SPENDING, WHETHER IT BE HOTELS, VACATION RENTALS AND A SHOPPING GROCERY STORES OF EATING OUT AT RESTAURANTS, ACTIVITIES. ALL OF THAT BENEFITS, OUR ARC, OUR COMMUNITY IN THE BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY. WOULD YOU FIND IT IS THE BIG MOTIVATING FACTOR AND I'M SURE THERE'S NOT ONE PIECE TO THIS PUZZLE OF WHY WE ARE SUCH AN ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION. BUT WHAT IS YOUR DATA SHOW? YEAH, I DATA SHOWS PEOPLE REALLY ENJOY COMING HERE. FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL SANDY BEACHES. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL THAT THEY DO WHEN THEY'RE HERE, THEY DID. THEY'RE MORE INCLINED TO MAYBE SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME AT THE BEACHES, BUT ALSO DO OTHER THINGS WHILE THEY'RE HERE, THEY MIGHT COME DOWNTOWN TO DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE QUAINTNESS OF OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA WITH THE RESTAURANTS AND THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT GO ON OUR WALK, MUSIC WALK. ALSO OTHER AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY LIKE BONITA SPRINGS IS REALLY, REALLY GROWING THEIR DOWNTOWN AREA. SO THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO DO WHEN YOU'RE HERE, YOU TOUCHED ON THE BEACHES, FORT MYERS BEACH IN LEE COUNTY IS UNDER YOUR PERSPECTIVE. >> CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH APPEAR THE FORT MYERS BEACH PIER IS. >> ICONIC AND MANY TOURISTS LOVE TO COME TO THE BEACH TO SEE IT. AND SINCE IT WAS DESTROYED AFTER IAN THIS PROJECT HAS REALLY TAKEN CENTER-STAGE, IT'S MOVING FORWARD WITH THE LATEST ON THAT. YEAH. AND YOU SAID IT IS ICONIC. I MEAN, WE THAT SO MANY IMAGES THAT THAT IS OUR. >> THAT AND THE SANIBEL LIGHTHOUSE OR JUST THE ICONIC PLACES. AND SO IT'S IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, GET THAT THAT PIER WE BUILT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE LATEST IS. I THINK THE COUNTY IS RATED IS READY TO GO. WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND AND PEOPLE SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT AND WHEN WHEN THE WHEN THE PAIR IS BUILT BACK, ITS GOING TO BE LONGER WHITER, A REALLY GREAT DESTINATION AMENITY. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. GOING FORWARD TO. >> AND YOU CAN'T REALLY UNDERESTIMATE HOW ICONIC THAT PERIODS. I KNOW WHEN I'VE BEEN DOWN AT THE BEACH, I'VE SPOKEN TO INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS WHO SAID I LOVE COMING TO THE PIER. WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO REBUILD AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SO MANY INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS. HAVE YOU YOU HAVE ANY DATA ON THAT? ABSOLUTELY. YET INTERNATIONAL IS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO WHAT WE DO. >> SO WHERE WE'RE AT, WE'RE GOING AFTER THE DOMESTIC VISITOR. WE'RE ALSO GOING AFTER THE INTERNATIONAL VISITORS. >> THE INTERNATIONAL VISITOR TENDS TO STAY LONGER AND SPEND MORE. SO IT'S A REALLY A BIG PART OF OUR MARKETING EFFORT. SO WE WERE REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THAT STRONG HOLD OF A INTERNATIONAL GUESTS. AND I BELIEVE REPORTS SHOW WE HAD OVER. >> I THINK IT WAS IT WAS 11 MILLION TRAVELERS THROUGH RSW LAST YEAR. YES, HONEST W IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT CORNERSTONE THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, ALL OF THESE THAT'S AMAZING. WE WORK THROUGH WEEK. WE CAN'T DO IT THAT WAY. WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL AIRPORT >> AS RSW THAT THAT IT'S AMAZING. THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS THAT THAT COME THROUGH AND OF COURSE, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE GOING THROUGH AN EXPANSION. AND I THINK IT'S THAT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE PRETTY CLEAR IN 2028. 29 TIME FRAME. BUT IT'S GOING TO ALLOW FOR MORE GATE. A NEW RESTAURANT, YOU KNOW, LARGER. ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WILL AND HOPEFULLY WITH THAT MIGHT COME EVEN EXPANDED AIR SERVICE. BECAUSE REALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT JENNIFER AIR SERVICE WHERE THOSE PLANES FLY TO AND FROM REALLY AFFECT ALL OF US HERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. IT IN AFFECTS THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. AND IF THEY HAVE FOLKS WHO NEED TO GET ON A PLANE IN HEAD WEST AND AND AND ULTIMATELY TO HEAD TO WE RSW IS IS REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE BETTER CONNECTIVITY TO THE WEST COAST OF THE USA THAT THAT WILL LEAD ON 2 POINTS BEYOND AND AND ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE ALWAYS SETH, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET ANOTHER? WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET A FLIGHT TO THE UK AND I I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. I KNOW THAT THE FOLKS AT RSW ARE REALLY WORKING THAT. BUT I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN EXPECT ANTICIPATE RATHER 26 IN EXPANSION PROCESS IS IS DONE WELL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU IN PERSON. THANK YOU SO MUCH, JENNIFER. THANKS FOR HAVING ME.