Some Southwest Florida businesses report high visitor spending after Jan

BOKILIA, Florida. It’s hard to imagine that southwest Florida could get into tourist season after Hurricane Ian, but some businesses are reporting an influx of visitors.

At Tarpon Lodge on Pine Island in Bokilia, they say people come to eat and rent rooms. However, this is not your typical visitor.

“We rented them out to a number of people who were mainly visiting friends and family during this time,” said Rob Wells, president of Tarpon Lodge. “We opened these rooms right before Thanksgiving.”

At first, they housed displaced employees, neighbors, and a Pine Island construction firm. Lacking a clear vision for the future of tourism, Wells remains optimistic.

“From a tourism point of view, it will be interesting to see who will be vacationing in February, March and April,” he explained.

Usually the tourist season attracts seasonal residents and visitors. In 2021, the Lee County Bureau of Visitors and Conferences reported $3.73 billion in visitor spending.

Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce President Brian Hamman says spending this year comes from a variety of sources.

“This year, our visitors are a mix of people who are actually here hoping to get the job done and help the people who are recovering from Hurricane Yan,” he said. “We also have a few visitors who come here for their traditional holiday.”

As for open businesses, Hamman says they hear high visitor spending. Tarpon Lodge repeats the same, although full recovery will take time.

“I think it’s twofold. I think we need businesses that are open and open,” Wells said. “And then I think it’s the customer service that people have come to know and love in Southwest Florida.”

Wells believes that to achieve this enterprise must lend a helping hand.

“We are all part of the same big tourism marketing business, but we need to work together to help each other,” he said. “It’s going to be a process, but in the long run, I think we’ll get those customers back.”