Marco Island sees mixed business results as tourism fluctuates

Tourism is a vital part of life for coastal communities in Southwest Florida.

On Friday, a Marco Island business owner expressed concerns on Facebook about a perceived drop in tourism on the island in recent years.

This sparked a broader conversation among residents and businesses about the current state of the island's tourism industry.

The county reported a decline in visitors to Marco Island over the last fiscal year. However, local businesses have mixed experiences with this trend.

"There are many reasons to visit Marco Island," said Maverick Brockway, a tourist who enjoys visiting the beach.

Mitchell Wolff, another tourist, said, "Get away from, like, busy city life."

Dawn Kretschmer, owner of Sandpiper Clothiers, shared that business is thriving.

"Season like right now, foot traffic's insane. We could have 30, 40, 50 people in the store at any given time," said Kretschmer. "Social media has been insanely helpful for us to get people in the door. I feel that people are here, though."

In contrast, Regine Liu from Jackie's Chinese Restaurant reported a slowdown.

"It's been slower, I think, yeah," said Liu. "For business... a little bit goes down."

Liu noted a decrease in orders during the holidays compared to previous years.

"We got like 120 orders for the Christmas," said Liu. When asked if this was less than last year, she confirmed, "Less than last year."

Despite differing experiences, both Liu and Kretschmer remain hopeful for the new year and are eager to welcome new visitors.

"I hope they can enjoy their travel and try our food!" said Liu.

"Just come on down, support us all, because we're all here. We want you in!" said Kretschmer.

Efforts to obtain more detailed visitor numbers from the City of Marco Island were redirected to the island's Chamber of Commerce.