Sarasota County tourism took an appreciable jump in January compared to last year. According to Visit Sarasota County, tourist arrivals were up 1.5%, with the entire winter season seeing an increase of nearly 3 percent. Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County, told the Herald-Tribune the so-called “upper end” of the market is outpacing the “lower” or discount end. She says the smaller, more limited-service hotels off I-75 are feeling a crunch from newer higher-end hotels as well as Airbnb.
