Long-term planning in Manatee County pays even longer-term dividends

Back in 2015, the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp., the lead economic development organization for all of Manatee County, issued its first strategic plan. One of the strategies identified was to expand the Bradenton Area Convention Center and co-locate a full-service flag hotel.

A decade later, through strong collaboration among the leadership of Manatee County government, the Tourism Development Council and the City of Palmetto, the community recently celebrated the opening of the Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa. Next year, the convention center renovation and expansion will be completed, with conference bookings to follow beginning in 2026.

According to the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, tourism is a $2.2 billion industry for Manatee County, supporting approximately 30,000 jobs. In 2023, our community hosted 3.8 million visitors. Of those, about 5% represented the corporate traveler, 15% came from sports-related tourism, and the rest were leisure travelers.