Effective communication is the key to any successful partnership, and that holds true with the relationship between the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) and our partners in the local tourism community. That’s why this Tourism Update newsletter is so important to us and why I’m asking for your help to ensure we are using it to effectively communicate with you. We’ve distributed an electronic newsletter to you for some time, but this month marks the one-year anniversary of its current format, Tourism Update. We wanted to take this opportunity to ask you for your opinions about how this format works for you and if the content is helpful. I encourage you to click here to take a very short, nine-question survey.

When we launched Tourism Update one year ago, our goal was to provide a concise recap of what we are doing to market The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel on behalf of the industry, as well as to share news from our partners. We opted to publish a newsletter in an email format for your convenience, and we try to keep the content of the newsletter confined to the email. Sometimes, we provide an option for you to read additional information by clicking “MORE.”

As well intentioned as we are, only you can tell us if this format works for you. Are we providing the kind of information that helps you and your business? Is there something you want us to add or delete? Are the articles too long or too short? Please participate in this survey so we know what will best help you.

We respect your time, and I assure you the survey is a short one (nine questions). I encourage you to help us improve our emphasis on effective communication, and I thank you in advance for your feedback.

Cape Coral City Council member Lenny Nesta (r) has been appointed to the Lee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners. Nesta, now retired, served for more than 30 years as a firefighter with the Cape Coral Fire Department. He attended Edison State College, St. Petersburg Junior College, as well as Florida State Fire College and the National Fire Academy. Nesta is an active member of the community, involved with Grace United Methodist Church, the German-American Club and the Florida Public Pension Retirees Association. Nesta replaces Cape Coral City Council member Chris Chulakes-Leetz on the TDC.

Two members of the VCB’s management team have been recently elected to organizational positions: Tamara Pigott and Nancy Hamilton. Pigott, VCB executive director, was named treasurer of the Florida Association of Destination Marketing Organizations. She also was appointed to the board of directors of American Shore & Beach Preservation Association. In addition, VCB Communications Director Nancy Hamilton has been named to a two-year term on the Society of American Travel Writers board, where she will continue to serve on the executive board as secretary for the Atlantic-Caribbean Chapter.

 VCB team member promoted to enhance social media and Internet efforts

USA Today

“Every professional travel writer, it seems, has a happy place, a destination where they return not so much to gather new material, but to unwind and relax. For me, that place is Sanibel Island, Florida.”

The Chicago Tribune

“In Matlacha, I stayed at The Sun and Moon Inn (888-321-3192, sunandmoon.net), Angler’s Inn (239-898-2121, anglersinnmatlacha.com) and Knoll’s Court Motel (239-283-0616, knollscourtmotel.com) and in Bokeelia at the Bokeelia Tarpon Inn (866-827-7662, tarponinn.com). Angler’s and Knoll’s offer very basic accommodations and rates in the range of $100 a night during the time I visited. Sun and Moon is somewhat more upscale but only slightly pricier, and the Tarpon Inn deserves its AAA three-diamond rating, which explains rates that generally are more than $200 a night.”

AARP the magazine

“The coolest places in town are the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford winter estates – the two mansions where the industrial giants lived side by side. Edison’s lab is preserved the way he left it (239-334-7419; edisonfordwinterestates.org).”

Destination Weddings & Honeymoons

“The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, a treasure along Florida’s southwestern coast. Standards like limos and gazebos and caterers and hair stylists are found in abundance in this warm-weather locale, helping you arrange your special day to be exactly as you want it. Yet this coastal area has significantly more: an abundance of nature, and a whole lot of charm. All told, the Fort Myers-Sanibel area encompasses 100 islands. That means your choices for ceremonies, receptions and romantic honeymoon activities can involve miles upon miles of beaches, some of powdery white sand, other filled with fascinating shells. You’ll have one-of-a-kind venues to choose from. Wherever you select, beauty is a given.”

The Orlando Sentinel

Opportunities abound for tourism partners

The VCB’s Visitor Services offers many opportunities for tourism partners to become involved, including the Guests First Customer Service training workshops. Since November 2011, 277 tourism partners have participated in these free tourism-focused training classes, and only one class remains – on Jan. 26 (register here). The program will pause for the season, but summer classes will be announced soon. Also, be sure to mark your calendar now for two events in May to celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week. On May 8, the VCB will host Travel Rally Day at JetBlue Park, followed May 9 with the Celebration of Business & Tourism Chrysalis Awards Luncheon and Trade Show. Chrysalis Awards nominations are being accepted now – click here for more details. It’s also never too early to begin thinking about the E Awards. Nomination forms are available now to nominate employees for the prestigious Elaine McLaughlin Outstanding Hospitality Awards, which will be presented Sept. 12 at the Harborside Event Center. For questions on any of these events, please contact Visitor Services at 239-590-4855 or visitorservices@leegov.com.

Airport traffic decreases in November

During November 2011, 612,470 passengers traveled through Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), a decrease of 6.2 percent compared to November 2010. Year-to-date, passenger traffic was up 0.7 percent from the same period in the previous year. The traffic leader in November was Delta with 123,808 passengers traveling to and from RSW. Rounding out the top five airlines were AirTran (115,120), Southwest (77,489), JetBlue (73,694) and US Airways (55,373).

Air Service Update documents variety of flying options at RSW

Passengers flying to and from RSW have a plethora of options, with nonstop service now available to 41 airports, including 37 domestic destinations and four international cities, according to RSW’s recently released Air Service Update. Presently, 18 air carriers service travelers through RSW. To review the Air Service Update in detail, click here.

Wings of Freedom tour to arrive at Page Field

Aviation enthusiasts and history buffs will have the opportunity to tour or take flight in rare, historic World War II aircraft when the Collings Foundation brings its Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress “Nine-O-Nine” heavy bomber, Consolidated B-24J Liberator “Witchcraft” heavy bomber and North American Dual Control P-51C Mustang “Betty Jane” fighter to Page Field Feb. 8-10. The stop in Fort Myers is part of the Collings Foundation’s “Wings of Freedom Tour,” an annual 110-city nationwide tour in its 23rd year of showcasing rare aircraft. The public is invited to take ground tours or make reservations for flight experiences. For times, costs and other details visit www.collingsfoundation.org or call 800-568-8924.

Sanibel earns top spot on Frommer’s list of favorite travel destinations

For his Dec. 28 online blog, travel guru Arthur Frommer has named Sanibel Island No. 1 on his list of “Top Ten Favorite Places to Travel” in the world. “Sanibel Island: Off the west coast of the Sunshine State, a few miles from Fort Myers, is this idyllic haven of white-sand beaches, condos whose seafront apartments are available for weekly rentals, excellent restaurants, good shopping – and most important, the “Ding” Darling Nature Preserve, visited by thousands of birds of every species, who bask in the sun after diving for fish and are one of the great natural sights of wildlife in America.”

Lee County ranked high in list of top 15 tourist destinations

TripAdvisor, Inc., the world’s largest travel site, has ranked The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel as No. 3 on its list of top 15 U.S. destinations on the rise for 2012 based on feedback from TripAdvisor travelers and editors. Lee County follows No. 1 Nashville, Tenn. and No. 2 Austin, Texas on the diverse list of top destinations that according to TripAdvisor have shown a “remarkable increase in traveler reviews on TripAdvisor.com over the last year.” Lee County outranked Pensacola (No. 5) and St. Augustine (No. 9) as the only other Florida destinations on the list. In summarizing the Lee County destination, TripAdvisor said, “Most visitors go to Fort Myers for the deep-sea fishing, the golf courses and the famous white sand beaches that line the Gulf Coast. Attractions include the winter estates of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, as well as nearby Naples and the islands of Sanibel and Captiva.” Last year, TripAdvisor also ranked Sanibel and Captiva islands high in its inaugural 2011 Travelers’ Choice Beach awards. In the “Top 25 Beaches in the World” category, Sanibel Island ranked No. 16, while on the “Top 25 Beaches in the United States” list, Sanibel Island was rated No. 6 and Captiva Island came in at No. 8.

Bowman’s Beach lauded as nation’s top secluded beach

In December 2011, www.shermanstravel.com named Sanibel Island’s Bowman’s Beach No. 1 in its top 10 list of secluded U.S beaches. “The secret’s out about the beauty of Sanibel Island’s linen-white sand beaches,” reported the site. “So you won’t be alone in searching for a stretch of a secluded U.S. beach to call your own. But that’s just what you’ll get when you leave your car and make the quarter-mile walk to Bowman’s Beach, Sanibel’s most peaceful place. The island is well-known as one of the best shelling spots in the country, but you’ll find little competition here.”