Southwest Florida tourism bounces back despite statewide dip

SANIBEL, Fla. (WINK)—New Florida tourism numbers show a slight dip to start the year, but some Southwest Florida businesses say they are still seeing strong crowds.

Multiple business owners in Lee County say the first quarter felt like pre-Hurricane Ian. On Sanibel Island, Katy Forret with Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grille says this season finally started to feel a little more normal.

"This first quarter, we did better than we did last year, and so we're really looking forward to a very strong summer," Forret said.

“Lee County’s tourism industry saw strong first quarter growth in visitation, visitor spending, occupancy and tourist tax collections year-over-year, reflecting continued traveler demand and confidence in the Fort Myers area," said Pamela Johnson, Deputy Director at the Visitor & Convention Bureau. "Tourism continues to play a major role in supporting local businesses, jobs and our overall economy as communities across the destination continue recovering and welcoming visitors back.”

After Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton, she says every visitor matters. Forret says they were nervous at first about whether people would come back because the area was so devastated.

Visit Florida says in 2025, tourism saw a small increase of only 0.2%. Canadian visitors dropped more than 12% during the first quarter of this year.

"I've seen recently, I've talked to people from England, I've talked to people from Ireland, I've talked to people from Australia," Forret said. "So, there are people coming from overseas, maybe not as many Canadians, but I'm sure we'll see them back."

Visitors from the United Kingdom rose more than 17%. Forret says the world is a crazy place right now, so everything's kind of up in the air, and she's sure the Canadians will come back.

John Lai with the Sanibel-Captiva Chamber says the area has seen a decline of Canadian tourists, but statewide declines don't always match what's happening locally. Lai says the area is seeing a lot of adventure seekers trying to find somewhere they can have the comforts of home but still be able to get outside.

Lai says Southwest Florida's recovery story, along with reopened beaches, hotels and businesses, is helping draw people back. He says the area is going to ride this wave of momentum.

Lee County tourism leaders say visitation, hotel occupancy and tourist tax collections were all up during the first quarter of the year. They say it helps tremendously as the area gets closer to the off-season.