Visit Sarasota initiative could help Siesta tourism

The quaint little inns that dot Siesta Key give the barrier island a laid-back feel unlike South Beach or Panama City Beach, which regular tourists often cite as the reason they return to our area in their later years.

But, when summer rolls in and Siesta has to rely on local “stay-cationers” and European tourists, the foreign tourists can also be a detriment to island businesses, according to Visit Sarasota President Virginia Haley.

The problem is that taking an extended vacation in Florida can be expensive for Europeans. Therefore, a majority of tourists from across the Atlantic Ocean will book “holidays” with international tourism companies and travel agents.

These entities make their profit by purchasing room stays in bulk. For example, a tourism firm may buy out an entire floor of a hotel and ask for a lower rate than it currently charges. The hotel hedges the risk of having empty rooms, and the tourism company can net a small profit and pass on some of the price reduction in travel packages.

It all comes down to economies of scale, Haley explained. Large hotels, which are scarce on Siesta, can afford to pare room rates for bulk buyers because of their size.

Despite this barrier, Siesta will get some support from a new relationship the former Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau forged with Brand USA, the international marketing organization for the United States. Also, Visit Sarasota’s design team debuted a possible sign enhancement for the “No. 1 Beach” signs.

Haley presented the 2013 fiscal year budget for Visit Sarasota at a July 10 meeting with Sarasota County commissioners and outlined its goals for the coming year. One, which would help Siesta tourism, is to bank on Brand USA’s reach in Europe to draw United Kingdom residents. Brand USA is expected to spend as much as $90 million to target tourism markets in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan, according to Visit Sarasota’s presentation to commissioners. (See sidebar.)

Although Visit Sarasota has provided a design for an enhancement to the “No. 1 Beach” signs, which members of the Siesta Key Village Associations said was agreeable during the organization’s July meeting, changing the signs will be wrought with bureaucratic red tape, Haley explained. It will be more difficult then just slapping the yellow beach ball concept, being discussed, onto existing signage.

“Trying to get (the Florida Department of Transportation) to bless signs is unbelievable,” she said. Because the signs are located on FDOT serviced roads, the organization is required to approve sign design and function, which is timely process. “It’s horrible,” she said.

The road war over signage isn’t the only asphalt-themed enhancement planned for this fiscal year. Visit Sarasota will now have a mobile visitor center, which will roll from event to event leaving trails of brochures and informational packets in its wake.

Nonetheless, Visit Sarasota is already seeing progress on engaging small Siesta rental units with international travel companies.

“We have two properties now working with wholesale buyers,” Haley said. “They’re baby steps, but we’ll take them.”

Visit Sarasota plans to look internationally to bring tourists to Sarasota County. In a July 10 presentation to Sarasota County commissioners, the organization’s president, Virginia Haley, gave an overview of how:

Continue working closely with the United Kingdom and German marketing and sales firms to identify the best and most effective opportunities with key travel trade industry. Attend World Travel Market in the UK in place of ITB Berlin.

Meet with key travel trade industry reps at trade shows to keep Sarasota at the top of their minds.
Host FAM trips in destination for international travel trade.

Expand slowly into the South American markets through requesting appointments with targeted travel trade at trade shows such as Florida Huddle and Pow Wow.

Work closely with Visit Florida and Brand USA to take advantage of opportunities and stay up-to-date on international visitation to the United States and Florida.

Continue one-on-one meetings with properties to educate and provide necessary information on working with international wholesalers and tour operators, with the goal of expanding our product base.

Build on momentum in the 2012 fiscal year and conduct sales missions targeting Florida-based receptive operators.

Continue momentum started in the 2012 fiscal year in Canadian market to continue to capitalize on their potential.

Visit Sarasota goals for the 2013 fiscal year:
Create collateral for the motor-coach industry selling Sarasota; include at least two comprehensive sample itineraries for the area.

Book two, new overnight motor coach groups to the area.

Send out 65 meeting and leisure leads to hotels, up from 55 in 2012 fiscal year.

Book a total of 6,000 room nights in the 2013 fiscal year.

Book one new meeting from the Washington, D.C., market.

Conduct two site visits with sporting-event organizers to potentially host their events in our destination.

Conduct quarterly presentations to the local sports community to help identify potential future events and identify areas of need for the community.

Secure two new “niche” sporting events, similar to the rowing regattas at Nathan Benderson Park.

Generate $25,000,000 of economic impact through sponsored sporting events.