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Lee County TDC: Visitation rising, council approves 2026 marketing plan and meeting schedule
Summary
At its Dec. 11 meeting the Lee County Tourist Development Council reviewed Q4 tourism metrics showing higher visitation and room nights, discussed recovery since Hurricane Ian, and unanimously approved the 2026 sales and marketing plan and meeting calendar.
The Lee County Tourist Development Council on Dec. 11 reviewed third-quarter tourism performance and approved the board’s 2026 sales and marketing plan and meeting schedule.
Executive Director Deborah Feigen reported that September bed-tax collections totaled $1,900,000 — about a 3% increase over the previous year — and that fiscal-year-to-date collections were $46,800,000 (up 5.8%). "The trend is upward, which is good news," Feigen said as she reviewed occupancy, average daily rate and RevPAR trends across the destination. James, the data presenter, said visitation for July through September rose by roughly 763,000 visitors — a 9.7% increase — and room nights were up 6.7% for the period. The presentations noted that recovery continues since Hurricane Ian but that supply growth is outpacing short-term occupancy gains in some months.
Brian Ossoski, Chief Marketing Officer, described promotional plans tied to the FIFA World Cup summer schedule, expanded activity at IPW and new partnerships including Kind Traveler’s "Every Stay Gives Back" program and Expedia/TripAdvisor initiatives. He said those campaigns aim to convert interest into travel and to make use of new airline routes serving RSW.
Following the reports the council moved, seconded and unanimously approved the 2026 sales and marketing plan and the proposed meeting dates. The board also accepted quarterly budget reports and reappointed its vice chair. No formal votes with individual tallies were recorded on the public transcript; the chair announced motions carried with "no objection."
The meeting closed after brief announcements about retirements, local events and a Dec. 22 grand opening for South Seas.
Next steps: staff will continue to monitor occupancy and spending trends, pursue targeted marketing tied to major events, and return with any follow-up data requested by council members.
