Sarasota County tourism falls in August

Tourism was down this August in Sarasota compared to August 2023, according to the head of tourism for Sarasota County. The area saw 124,000 visitors in August, compared with 127,610 the previous year, amounting to a decrease of about 2.8%.

Declines in tourism overall for the year can be traced in large part to Floridians, says Erin Duggan, president and CEO of Visit Sarasota County.

“Almost two-thirds of the year-to-date decline in visitors is due to reductions from Florida and the Southeast, with Florida alone contributing 40% to the overall drop,” Duggan says in a statement. “In contrast, visitation to Sarasota from the Northeast and Midwest remains relatively stable, accounting for less than 10% of the total decrease.”