Key narrowly misses Conde Nast list

In the end, 1.1 point made all the difference.

Longboat Key received a score of 79.1 out of a possible 100 from voters in the Condé Nast Traveler 2011 Readers’ Choice Survey. The rating meant Longboat Key was the 11th most popular island in the United States, just behind Cumberland Island, Ga., and Hilton Head Island, S.C., which tied for the No. 9 spot with scores of 80.2. It also meant that Longboat Key narrowly missed the worldwide exposure in the magazine that it received last year, when the island made its debut on the survey, with readers voting the island the No. 2 North American island travel destination. At the time, 3.1 points made all the difference, with Longboat Key earning a score of 79.9, compared to Kiawah Island, S.C., which earned the No. 1 spot with an overall score of 83.0.

But the good news is that although Longboat Key’s ranking fell this year, its overall rating fell by just 0.8 points out of 100. The island made modest gains in terms of scenery and activities, while its largest drops were in the friendliness and lodging categories. And, not surprisingly, the Key once again got its highest score in the beaches category.

“Overall, Longboat’s score was within a percentage point of its second-place finish last year,” said Tom Aposporos, president of the Longboat Key, Lido Key, St. Armands Key Chamber of Commerce. “This proves the highly competitive nature of the travel-and-leisure industry.”

“We obviously have a beautiful island that we’re all proud of, and we should keep doing what we’ve been doing,” said Michael Welly, general manager of the Longboat Key Club and Resort.

The Key received 504 votes in this year’s survey, according to Condé Nast Traveler Executive Editor Irene Schneider, which put it alongside worldwide island travel destinations such as the West Indies island of Anguilla; Phuket, Thailand; and the Tahitian island of Moorea.

But, as reported in the Oct. 27 issue of the Longboat Observer, Longboat Key faced unexpected competition in this year’s survey: In past years, Hawaiian islands were included in the Oceania island category, while the mainland islands of the United States and Canada were grouped together in the North American category. This year, the United States and Canada were separated in all categories, including island destinations. But this year, Hawaiian islands were included in the United States categories instead of the Oceania category, and Hawaiian islands swept up five of the top 10 United States island destination slots.

But Aposporos said he isn’t worried about Maui, Hawaii, which earned the No. 1 spot on the list, or the other Hawaiian islands that edged out Longboat Key on this year’s list.

“Why would I want to go to Hawaii?” he asked. “I’m on Longboat Key.”