September visits in Sarasota County down 15% from 2024

A decrease in travel to Sarasota County by Florida residents and others in the driving distance market, who are opting for more distant travel destinations, continues to contribute to a reduction in tourism here, according to September data released by Visit Sarasota County.

The county’s official tourism bureau reported a continuing trend of declining numbers in visitors, direct spending and overall economic impact, even though hotel room rates tracked slightly upward at $156.34, an increase of 4.4%. Meanwhile, reported vacation rental rates were at $262 per night, a decrease of 1.5%.

“We continue to see our room rate rise slightly, but visitation remains down,” said VSC President and CEO Erin Duggan in a news release. “Though the year-to-date number of visitors is down, the number of visitors from Central Europe and other international regions is up. This tracks alongside the fact that we’re seeing fewer visitors from in-state and the drive market as they look to explore other areas of the world.”

At 45,790, visitors from Central Europe are up 12.3% year to date. At 34,250, other international visitors — excluding other Europe, the United Kingdom and Canada — are up 0.2%.

In September, total visitors were 79,500 compared to September 2024, a decrease of 14,200 or 15.2%. Direct spending was $67.1 million, down from $76.7 million in September 2024 a decrease of $9.6 million or 12.5%. Total economic impact was $102 million compared to $121.2 million in September 2024, down $19.2 million or 15.8%.

Year to date, a total of 1.32 million visited Sarasota County compared to 1.42 million in 2024, down 100,000 or 7.5%. Direct spending is at $1.65 billion, down from $1.74 billon for a decrease of $91.6 million or 7.5%. Total economic impact is at $2.53 billion, down from $2.78 billion in 2024, a decrease of $251.6 million or 9.0%.