Chamber sees signs of a healthy season
Members of the Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce are already beginning to sense that this season could be an exceptional for Sanibel and Captiva merchants, southwest Florida’s resort industry in general.
The assessment is based on record traffic and anecdotal stories from several island merchants.
“Summer has been one of the best ever and certainly the best for at least seven or eight years” said Trasi Sharp, co-owner of the Over Easy Cafe. “We closed for a few days to carry out some routine work but that was the only time that we did not have a steady flow of business. That is a promising sign for a good season ahead.”
Sharp’s upbeat assessment and expectations are similar to others, including the owner of Shiny Objects in the Tahitian Gardens retail complex.
“We agree,” said Rachel Thiemann said. “I thought that, as usual, in previous years we would see very little traffic in September. But it has been quite the reverse and we are delighted with the result.”
Sanibel and Captiva aren’t alone in assessing a bright forecast. Strong tourism is driving flight, hospitality and visitor traffic. Tourist taxes year to date jumped 17 percent through July, according to surveys by Florida Gulf Coast University. And flight activity at Southwest Florida International Airport rose 8 percent in the same period, the FGCU study reported. The surge correlates to a bump in visitors and tourism dollars for Sanibel and Captiva, both regarded as prime destinations. Islanders now count seasonal visitors in four increments: Snowbirds, Florida’s east coast, Europeans and stay-cations, resort officials report.
And the Lee County Economic Development also reports that Lee County is gaining in population. Some 32,000 new residents settled in Lee County in 2011, the last year numbers were available. The county’s total population now exceeds 661,000, according to 2013 estimates. Florida recently surpassed New York as the third most populated state with nearly 20 million residents.
Island observers are noting the jump in visitor traffic has been more obvious than previous seasons. The old adage was rolling a bowling ball on Periwinkle in the off-season and not striking a car. But locals this off-season are noting that public safety at the causeway and Periwinkle has been stationed at the crossroad in summer, waving a stream of traffic through, an oddity from past summers.
Dan Schuyler, co-owner of the Lily & Co jewelers, echoed the sentiments of many islander merchants: “It really does look as if the hard work put in by the chamber over the last few years in trying to level out the seasons is paying off.
“If I had not known it was September, I would have thought it just another month from the number of customers and their enthusiasm for what Sanibel has to offer.”
Despite the uptick in visitors, the islands have a long history of welcoming visitors at any time of year, chamber president Ric Base said.
“They came, they saw, and they don’t want to go,” Base said of the busy season months of November through April. “And now this is turning out to be as true of the summer months as of the winter. This is great news for the islands.”
About the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce:
The Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to promoting the prosperity of its members and preserves the quality of life of our community. With over 560 active chamber members from both islands, including businesses from Lee and Collier counties, the chamber plays a key role in facilitating communication and cooperation between business, residents and government to enhance the economic health of the islands. The chamber’s Visitor Center, located at the entrance to Sanibel Island, welcomes over 160,000 visitors each year.
For details and updates, visit sanibel-captiva.org.