Pictured: Spotlighting Sarasota's many golf and shopping opportunities, the campaign aims to draw more visitors during the quiet season. Photo courtesy Visit Sarasota County.

This summer, Visit Sarasota County has launched its newest marketing campaign, spotlighting golf and shopping districts as top draws for fall visitors. Running from July 1 through August 30, the campaign is designed to boost off-season tourism before Sarasota’s peak travel months begin.

“We wanted to ensure visitors that they could feel at ease in Sarasota County,” Director of Community Relations & Partnership Hunter Carpenter says. “As the temperatures up north are getting colder and colder in the fall and early winter, we want visitors to know that Sarasota is that place where the sunshine doesn't stop shining, and they'll be able to go outside and tee up for some golf or go shopping in one of our many districts.”

Each season, Visit Sarasota County curates a targeted campaign highlighting different aspects of the region. This fall, golf and retail experiences are front and center. The department works with more than 500 local partners and uses seasonal campaigns to showcase businesses beyond the beaches that the area is known for. “We have a myriad of different partners that we can choose to focus on in any given season. Part of our role is to make sure that business is spreading beyond the beaches too, that visitors are going inland to our downtown areas and municipalities,” Carpenter says.

This fall’s outreach is focused on both regional and national audiences. Through a mix of social media storytelling and digital and print advertising, Visit Sarasota County is targeting potential visitors from nearby locations such as Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Miami and Naples, as well as visitors from northern cities like Boston, New York, Chicago, Cleveland and Washington DC—all with direct flights to SRQ Airport.

Because Visit Sarasota County runs its marketing campaigns ahead of each season, Carpenter hopes to see the full impact of this fall campaign in September, October and November. He hopes that residents and visitors alike can benefit from increased tourism in the area. “When you build a place people want to visit, you also build a place people want to move to, work in and invest in,” Carpenter says. “Tourists’ investments in local businesses trickle down to keeping doors open and people employed, and their stays further contribute to community well-being through investments that the county makes. It's important to remember that tourism does help drive quality of life for our community.”

Pictured: Spotlighting Sarasota's many golf and shopping opportunities, the campaign aims to draw more visitors during the quiet season. Photo courtesy Visit Sarasota County.