165,000 rooms booked and $77 million dollars poured into Collier County during the traditional “slowest month of the year”! Jack Wert, executive director of the Naples and Marco Island Visitors Bureau attributes destination marketing as the engine propelling these results. A re-allocation of the county’s tourist tax has allowed for marketing efforts to take place throughout the year for the very first time.
Getting the word out through all mediums of advertising is paying off as the typical busy season runs from November to April. Naples is no longer a secret for many as more than 42 percent of the county’s visitors in September came to explore the area for the very first time. And while the county enjoys many repeat tourists from prime markets in the Northeast and the Midwest, our European friends represented the greatest number with an increase of 21 percent totaling more than 22,000 visitors.
Since January 2015 the county has attracted nearly 1.4 million visitors who have spent over $1.5 billion dollars. With overall satisfaction ratings clearing 90 percent from visitors surveyed by Research Data Services many note that a return visit in on their horizon.
It looks like we may have to hunt for a new beach spot as seasonal owners are due back any day. Yet with miles of white powdery beaches on our Paradise Coast we are confident that there is room for everyone to enjoy the fabulousness of Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.