Southwest Florida tourism aims for repeat of boom year

How does one repeat a boom year?

That's the question Southwest Florida tourism, travel and hospitality leaders are asking themselves. It's no small matter to an industry that accounts for an estimated one in five jobs in Lee and Collier counties alone.

The final numbers aren't yet in; however, odds are high Lee and Collier counties will achieve record bed tax collections in calendar 2015.

To be sure, they've garnered a nice chunk of statewide tourism, which is projected to be a record-buster, topping 100 million visitors by year-end.

On 2016, "I have an optimistic outlook," said Tamara Pigott, executive director for Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau.

Through surveys and other means, "consumers are saying they want to travel more in 2016," Pigott said, noting: "People who are interested in our destination are more inclined to travel."

She and Collier tourism chief Jack Wert identified six factors that will drive their industry's fortunes in 2016.

Air service soars

At Southwest Florida International, the number of airline seats, called capacity, is forecast to increase by more than 7 percent year-over-year in January and by more than 14 percent in February.

Naples Municipal Airport is gearing-up for its first scheduled commercial service in years. Officials anticipate Elite Airways will begin Naples-to-Newark, New Jersey flights early in 2016 at a yet-unknown date.

Allegiant, the sole scheduled service provider at Punta Gorda Airport, is proving to be a player. It now serves 28 cities from Punta Gorda. The November passenger total, 71,025, was more than 33 percent higher year-over-year.

More rooms at the inns

Hyatt House Naples/5th Avenue is under construction, and scheduled to open May 3, with 183 guest rooms. It's on Naples Bay, and will offer dockage and boat rentals for guests.

The Marco Island Marriott continues its $250-million redo in 2016. A 94-room, adults-only tower, with rooftop pool, celebrity chef restaurant and 12,000 square-foot entertainment center will debut early 2017, when the resort gains full JW Marriott status.

Courting the millennials

MMGY Global's survey-based Portrait of the American Traveler shows the millennial generation ages 18-34 are significantly more invested in visiting Southwest Florida in the next two years, than their elders.

This bodes well for the area, because there are roughly 6 million more U.S. millennials than baby boomers ages 49-67.

Area hoteliers are starting to address the different preferences of the next generation of avid travelers.

Promotions go mobile

People go first to their mobile devices for information these days.

In 2016, Lee's visitor bureau will retool its mobile Fort Myers-Sanibel.com website to make it more visually exciting and quicker-loading.

Wild card 1: Exchange rates

One of the big unknowns is how the euro will fare relative to the dollar in 2016.

"For Germans, we're not the bargain we used to be, although we're still a bargain," said Wert, executive director of the Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Wild card 2: Presidential election

The outlook on Wall Street and consumer confidence tends to fluctuate in an election year, Pigott said.

If confidence dips, tourists might shorten their stays or spend a little less in 2016.

However, Pigott sees low gasoline prices and a recovering job market offsetting much of that hesitancy.

"For the first quarter," Pigott said, "hoteliers tell me they're ahead of pace."

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