Tourism

Visitors to Lee County are turning to local businesses and restaurants to support the area after Southwest Florida International Airport released numbers showing a change in tourism.

RSW is among the top 5 U.S. airports for passenger satisfaction, according to the Travel Lens website.

The Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau (VCB) developed a four-stage recovery campaign to promote tourism in Lee County by spreading excitement as the current focus. “The goal is to show that the destination is bouncing back,” Tamara Pigott, the director of VCB said. “While things may not be “normal” just yet, there is still an opportunity to have an enjoyable experience and support the community they’ve so enjoyed visiting in the past.”

The new estimates by Visit Florida included a revision of the overall numbers for 2020 that indicates the pandemic was worse on the leisure and hospitality industry than previously projected.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Thursday he is suing the federal government in a long-shot attempt to get the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allow cruising to resume immediately.

Starting Thursday, visitors at the resort will be permitted to remove masks to take outdoor photos, though it comes with a few rules.

The WWE and the PGA Tour are moving events to the greater Tampa Bay region.

The Canadian government recently announced an extended closure of the land border it shares with the U.S. and a motel owner in Hollywood who caters to Quebecois is preparing for a much slower season.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought Florida’s tourism industry almost to a halt. But the agency in charge of marketing the state is making a pitch to visitors near and far.

State health officials reported 5,807 new COVID-19 cases, Wednesday, for a total of 762,533 cases. The Florida Department of Health also reported 105 new coronavirus-related deaths, Oct. 21, increasing the statewide death toll to 16,413 fatalities.