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NAPLES — Visitors to Collier County increased slightly in May over May 2016, while the occupancy rate dipped slightly, according to a new report from the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In total, there were 137,200 people in paid lodging facilities in the county in May, the bureau reports in a statement. The drop in occupancy rate is attributed to a softening in the group meetings market and more families and groups of friends visiting with higher numbers of people per room, the statement adds.
“The best news from our May research was the positive forward-looking report we heard from lodging managers who report their three-month forward reservation levels as up or the same over last year,” says Jack Wert, executive director of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau, the county's tourism marketing arm, in the statement. “This indicates that our summer vacation business should stay in the positive range.”
More positive news: May visitors to Collier County spent more this year than last, bringing an economic impact to the county of more than $166 million, up 7% over May 2016. Visitation has been up every month so far this year except January, when an El Nino weather pattern brought unusually heavy winter rains, and temperatures up north were higher than usual.
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