The Manatee County Tourist Development Council heard encouraging tourism numbers for March at its April 27 meeting, with high occupancy and millions in visitor spending, though researchers warned that travelers nationwide are tightening their belts.
Isiah Lewis, director of client relations at Downs & St. Germain Research, presented tourism statistics showing the area drew just over 182,400 paid visitors in March, generating 298,500 room nights and $184 million in direct expenditures.
Travelers arrived in parties averaging 2.8 people and stayed an average of 4.7 nights.
Combined occupancy for hotel and vacation rental sectors came in just under 85%, with an average daily rate of $408 and a revenue per available room rate of $346 across 11,369 units.
Vacation rentals outperformed hotels — occupancy approached 87%, with an ADR of $562 and RevPAR of $477.
Hotels posted 82.5% occupancy, an ADR of $245.88 and RevPAR of $202.
Despite the strong local numbers, Lewis flagged a shift in consumer behavior: Upper-middle-class travelers — the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s target market — are traveling but booking earlier to lock in cost savings and trimming discretionary spending on entertainment and retail.
Researchers said they expect that pattern to continue through the summer.
In other business, the TDC, which advises county commissioners on prioritizing tourism-related projects and spending tourist development tax dollars, discussed the Gulf Islands Ferry service now running three boats five days a week between the Bradenton Riverwalk Pier and Bradenton Beach’s Historic Bridge Street Pier.
TDC member Gene Brown, Bradenton’s mayor, encouraged work to develop a workforce commuter component, as well as create more landing locations for the ferries.
Workforce transportation is critical, Brown said.
TDC member Dan Diggins, a Holmes Beach commissioner, said adding another large, enclosed boat is key to a commuter program.
Responding, BACVB executive director Elliott Falcione said the push to create a landing at Coquina Beach was moving ahead and the Cortez Marina could provide a landing location.
About reestablishing a landing in Anna Maria, which was lost when hurricanes Helene and Milton damaged the city pier, Falcione said, “Anna Maria is tough because we’re still dealing with the currents, the winds and all that. No matter what you design … that’s going to be a pretty decent cost to build.”
It’s too early to request county commissioners fund a fourth boat, he added.
“It’s hard to invest all that money for just a point-to-point stop,” Falcione said.