Sarasota County tourism falls in August

Tourism was down this August in Sarasota compared to August 2023, according to the head of tourism for Sarasota County. The area saw 124,000 visitors in August, compared with 127,610 the previous year, amounting to a decrease of about 2.8%.

Declines in tourism overall for the year can be traced in large part to Floridians, says Erin Duggan, president and CEO of Visit Sarasota County.

“Almost two-thirds of the year-to-date decline in visitors is due to reductions from Florida and the Southeast, with Florida alone contributing 40% to the overall drop,” Duggan says in a statement. “In contrast, visitation to Sarasota from the Northeast and Midwest remains relatively stable, accounting for less than 10% of the total decrease.”

Lodging occupancy and room nights were down in August year over year, Duggan says. Occupancy was 52.8% in August, compared with 58.8% the year prior. There were 222,600 room nights sold that month compared with 246,800 in August 2023, a decrease of 9.8%.

While visitors were staying less, they were on average spending more, according to Duggan. Visitor direct expenditures were $89,007,300 in August, compared with $88,487,300 in 2023, she says, an increase of 0.59%. In addition, the lodging room rate was on average $228.17 in August, versus $220.43 the year before, an increase of 3.5%.

Tourism tends to pick up in Sarasota County from October through March.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which made landfall near Siesta Key on Oct. 9, Visit Sarasota has launched a webpage and campaign called Support the 941 to promote local businesses, relief initiatives, destinations and events.