Sarasota County tourism ‘normalizing’ post-pandemic, optimistic for 2025

While the number of overall travelers to Sarasota County dropped in fiscal year 2024 compared with the previous year, tourism officials say they are optimistic about 2025 due to a number of factors. The list includes: Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport expansion, the return of business travelers, European tourists and sporting events.

Nearly 2.9 million people visited Sarasota County in fiscal year 2024, according to Downs & St. Germain Researchers, which was contracted by Visit Sarasota County (VSC) to evaluate its data. That was a 5.6% decrease year over year, the researchers say. Downs & St. Germain executives were among a group of speakers at VSC's Indicators & Insights Summit held Nov. 19 at The Ora in Sarasota. The event provided a review of 2024 data and a forecast for 2025.