It takes more than red tide to douse gains in Manatee County tourism and the dollars it generated in fiscal year 2017-18.
Almost $1 billion in economic impact — $923,074,700 to be exact — was generated by three quarters of a million visitors to area beaches and attractions between Oct. 1, 2017, and Sept. 30, 2018.
Walter Klages of Research Data Services presented those results to the Manatee County Tourist Development Council Dec. 10 at the Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.
However, the last few months of the 2017-18 fiscal year and the first few months of this fiscal year saw losses, fueled by the red tide crisis.
Units, occupancy
Developers continued to build and lodging inventory climbed by 7.3 percent in fiscal 2017-18, which translated to an additional 600 units.
Occupancy dropped 4 percent in 2017-18, compared to a year prior. But the average room rate climbed 1.4 percent to $175.2 per day from $172.8 in 2016-17.
“If you consider the challenges we have had this year, the dollar for dollar looks real good,” said Klages, whose company tracks tourism numbers for the county.
“With everything we have had to deal with about the environment, I think the market looks strong down the road. I think we will see significant growth down that road, and I don’t believe the red tide stigma will carry into the new season,” he said.
Tracking travelers
Growth exceeding 5 percent was recorded in the international market, with almost 100,000 visitors from Europe enjoying area beaches and attractions in the fiscal year that ended in September.
Canadian visitors increased by 4.4 percent.
Only Floridians traveling in-state and others from the Southeast showed a slight drop in visitations.
The Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport aided in the climbing numbers.
Fredrick Piccolo, chief operating officer and president of the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority, gave the TDC an overview of continuing improvements in transportation services.
At the airport, rental car parking stalls are shaded, a new air traffic control tower is operational and a gateway project with more than 60,000 plants and palms is underway to give a “high-end” feel to airport visitors.
Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines saw increases of 30 percent in travelers in November and projected increases of 44 percent in January with the addition of new nonstop routes.
“We are expecting a couple 100,000 more passengers this year, playing on our beaches, eating in our restaurants and sleeping in our rooms,” Piccolo said.
Piccolo said SRQ has no debt, and functions as an independent special district.
The airport takes a percentage from businesses on property and operates at a 10-15 percent profit margin that goes back into reserves.
“We work with SRQ first,” said Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The TDC passed a motion Dec. 10 to recommend a two-year, airline incentive marketing program to Manatee County commissioners with a first-year expenditure of $550,000 including $25,00 for public relations, and a second-year sum of $521,160.
Money, to come from the TDC reserve fund, would be matched by VisitSarasota, the tourism promotion arm of the Sarasota County Tourist Development Council.
Reports, recommendations
The TDC also voted to recommend the county fund an “unplugged” concert series, which would be hosted at the Manatee Performing Arts Center in Bradenton and the Center of Anna Maria Island in Anna Maria.
Falcione said Judy Collins signed for a performance March 8, 2019, and he requested $100,000 to cover costs of a four-concert series.
The others will be well-known entertainers, and the concerts — planned to boost tourism — will be this winter, Falcione said.
“We have this great community center here,” Falcione said of the center in Anna Maria. “We need to utilize it.”
A Women’s Entrepreneurial Empowerment Summit planned in Palmetto also was recommended for funding by Falcione. A request for $50,000 to help with summit expenses also passed.
The summit, led by Atlanta’s Mary Parker, will be held in four cities this year, including Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.
“This helps us be seen as a viable conference and convention destination,” Falcione said.
Sean Walter of the Bradenton Area Sports Commission gave an update on tournaments and sports conferences, citing 60 diversified sports events during the 2017-18 fiscal year, up 21 events from the previous year.
The TDC ended the meeting with members sharing observations about the past year.
“We lived through the bad red tides before, we will live through them again,” said County Commissioner Carol Whitmore.
TDC board member and restaurant owner Ed Chiles was a bit more resigned. “It’s been a little tough — no, it’s been a LOT tough this year. All this talk about too many visitors on our island. Then we see how important our visitors are to us when they are not here,” he said.
TDC members in attendance included Chiles, Whitmore, Eric Cairns, Jack Rynerson, Vernon DeSears, Anna Maria City Commissioner Doug Copeland and Jiten Patel.
The TDC makes recommendations to county commissioners, who have the final say in spending tourist development tax revenues. The council consists of nine volunteer members appointed to four-year terms.