People to watch 2019: Virginia Haley

Last summer, Visit Sarasota County President and CEO Virginia Haley outlined an ambitious plan for tourism promotion in 2018-19 that sought to increase the number of visitors to the region by 5% over the previous year.

A month later, a red tide bloom began to wreak havoc on Sarasota’s tourism industry.

“Obviously, we completely changed our strategy to one of red tide recovery, as opposed to going after new markets,” Haley said.

At the dawn of 2019, the extent of red tide’s effects on tourism are unclear. Tourist development tax collections were down more than 20% from August to October compared to the previous year. In Visit Sarasota surveys, Haley said local businesses report business is looking better. But still, over the next three months, about 85% of respondents indicate their numbers appear to be declining relative to the first quarter of 2018.

Although the number of visitors to the region hasn’t significantly dropped because of red tide, Haley said a concurrent increase in hotel rooms has caused a more notable decrease in lodging-related revenue.

“Sadly, that’s where the red tide has hit Sarasota harder than others on the southwest coast,” Haley said. “We have so many more rooms to fill, yet we’re driving about the same number of visitors we had last year.”

Because of red tide, Haley said Visit Sarasota has focused on promotions in the areas in the Midwest and on the east coast from which it has traditionally drawn tourists. The tourism bureau is also working with Google and Google Maps to provide up-to-date information and imagery of Sarasota, hoping to demonstrate the area has begun to recover from the effects of red tide.

Haley is hopeful that new flights at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport will help offset any losses related to red tide. With Allegiant set to add nine routes between February and April, Visit Sarasota has made significant investments in markets with direct service to SRQ.

“Normally, we have $250,000 in our advertising budget to support new air service,” Haley said. “Because of this tremendous increase in air service, we’re up to about $700,000 that we’re devoting to marketing those new routes.”

Although red tide is a pressing issue, Haley isn’t just focused on short-term strategies. Last year, Visit Sarasota began a strategic planning process it undertakes every five years, examining the best methods for drawing visitors to the region. Haley said the strategic plan looks at opportunities for organizational efficiency within Visit Sarasota, but it also considers the larger fundamentals of tourism in the county.

The strategic plan is scheduled to go before the county’s Tourism Development Council on Jan. 21, and then to the County Commission in late February. Haley said topics covered will include the importance of beach maintenance, the role of arts and cultural amenities in tourism and the difference between attracting first-time visitors and repeat travelers.

“There’s going to be a lot laid out, and then there’s going to be a lot to chew on,” Haley said.

Given the role tourism plays in the economy, the strategic planning process is inherently noteworthy. But the timing is potentially significant for the future of Visit Sarasota, considering county officials’ recent scrutiny of the organization’s funding needs and promotional strategies.

During last year’s county budget process, some commissioners bristled at Visit Sarasota’s request for $6.9 million. In October, the commission approved changes to how tourist development tax funds are allocated, allowing the county to reduce the proportion dedicated to promotional efforts depending on other budget conditions.

Throughout the year, commissioners questioned the need to increase the amount of money Visit Sarasota receives each year. Some commissioners pointed out the county is not obligated to work with Visit Sarasota as its promotional contractor, underscoring the degree to which officials were willing to reconsider the relationship with the tourism bureau.

“I’m just trying to understand what our options are on this board or any future board,” Commissioner Mike Moran said in October.

Haley remained publicly optimistic about Visit Sarasota’s relationship with the county, stating the organization only needed to do a better job of making decision-makers aware of the work it was doing. As Visit Sarasota officials have met with county leadership during the strategic planning process, Haley believes the two sides share key priorities.

“What I’m seeing is much better alignment,” Haley said.