Tourism in Southwest Florida was severely affected by Hurricane Ian, a 4th category storm that wreaked havoc in massive areas from Naples to Fort Myers and from Port Charlotte to Sarasota on September 28.
The efforts to revive the economy have now been put in motion on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. This area is famous for marvelous quiet beaches, boating, and sea flora and fauna. In late November, the so-called Snowbird Season will begin here, when holiday-makers from colder states and countries, as well as people spending part of the year in Florida, usually come here. In February, training of teams in the Major League Baseball will also begin in this state.
A series of initiatives have been implemented to kick-start the economic recovery. For instance, BMI (a record company) and the Fort Myers branch of iHeartMedia hosted a charity concert called Songwriters for Southwest Florida on November 2. All proceeds from the event will be transferred to the Support Fort Myers Hospitality Workers Relief Fund.
Tourism in Lee County, including Captiva and Sanibel Islands, as well as Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach, has demonstrated record-breaking performance over the past three years. According to data from Fox4 News Fort Myers, visitors brought $42 million to the state budget in 2019, just before the pandemic broke out; $53.3 million in 2021; and $64 million over the first eight months of 2022.
The last three months of the current year will have to be devoted to restoration operations on beaches and at hotels, but the authorities of Florida and individual counties keep taking action for the soonest recovery, so that hotels and owners of rental homes could receive revenue.