There Goes The Neighborhood

Is Airbnb Ruining Our Neighborhoods?

Do sites like Airbnb boost the local economy or tear neighborhoods apart?

10/02/2019 By Cooper Levey-Baker

New Hires

Mainsail Lodging & Development Names New Managing Partner

Andrew Houghton will head up Mainsail's new vacation rental company.

10/01/2019 By Staff

Lakewood Ranch

Lakewood Ranch Opens New Information Center

The center is located on Lakewood Ranch Main Street.

10/01/2019 By Staff

Travel

SRQ Airport Sets All-Time Passenger Record for July

Last month, 147,068 traveled through the airport.

08/16/2019 By Staff

Tourism

Florida Sets Record Tourism Numbers

The state welcomed 68.9 million travelers from January-June 2019, the highest number of visitors during any six months in Florida’s history.

08/15/2019 Photography by Staff

Air-Conditioned Exploration

We Tried It: City Sightseeing By Trolley

Discover Sarasota Tours offers trolley tours in the heart of the city for all tastes and interests.

08/13/2019 By Olivia Letts

Grants

County Approves More Than $2 Million in Tourist Development Cultural/Arts Grants

The grants come from a portion of the tourist tax dollars collected to fund Sarasota County arts and cultural organizations.

07/11/2019 By Staff

Tourism

Visit Sarasota County Partners with Venice Area Chamber to Offer Visitor Center in South County

The new welcome center is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and is inside the Venice Chamber, located at 597 Tamiami Trail S.

06/26/2019 Photography by Staff

Awards

Visit Sarasota County Names Voice of Sarasota Tourism Recipient and Five Local Faces of Travel

For the last 35 years, the first full week in May has been reserved for communities nationwide to showcase the impact of travel.

05/09/2019 By Staff

Awards

Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Announces Tourism Award Recipients

Liza Kubik and Janene Ameck were honored.

05/07/2019 By Staff

Data

Tourist Tax Revenue Still Down

Tourist Development Tax collections were down by 5.3 percent in January when compared to January 2018.

03/22/2019 By Staff

Worth the drive

Sebring Festival Lets You Explore the Sweet World of Craft Soda

Sample colas, ginger ales, root beers and cream sodas, with flavors like caramel apple, prickly pear, espresso, peach cobbler, candied bacon and more.

03/22/2019 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Tourism

Siesta Ranked the 15th Most Affordable Beach in the U.S.

To create the list, researchers examined the cost of parking, sunscreen, water, fish tacos, beer, cocktails and accommodations.

03/06/2019 By Staff

Tourism

Report Puts Orioles’ Annual Economic Impact at $92 Million

The analysis measures the total tourism impact created by the Orioles, combined with the club’s business operations and spending in Sarasota County.

02/25/2019 By Staff

Tourism

Selby Gardens Raises $31.5 Million for Phase One of Its New Master Plan

That includes a $5 million gift from Drs. Joel Morganroth and Gail Morrison Morganroth.

01/31/2019 By Staff

Science

Mote Project Wins County Commission Approval

The Sarasota County Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved a series of agreements with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium for its new Science Education Aquarium.

01/30/2019 By Staff

Tourism

Florida Tax Revenue Generated Through Airbnb Totaled $89.5 Million Last Year

Thanks to an agreement hammered out in 2017, the company last year transferred $1.1 million to Sarasota County on behalf of its hosts.

01/30/2019 By Staff

Tourism

Tourism Nonprofit Expands Sales Team

Visit Sarasota County recently promoted Ellen Thomas and hired Amanda Walker and Allison Jones.

01/29/2019 By Staff

Environment

Historian's Talk Will Raise Money for Maritime Museum

Historian Jack E. Davis, recently featured in Sarasota Magazine, will speak at a fundraiser for the Florida Maritime Museum on Thursday, March 14

01/25/2019 By Staff

Politics

Sarasota Added to U.S. Civil Rights Trail

The Sarasota area was added to the trail because of the Lido Beach "wade-ins"—protests created to push Sarasota to desegregate local beaches.

01/22/2019 By Staff