Photo by Del Adams from Pexels

Florida’s Paradise Coast, Collier County’s tourism bureau, is reaping success from its “Only Paradise Will Do” promotional campaign this spring in several target markets. “When you feel comfortable enough to travel again, reward yourself with the stunning beaches, wide-open spaces and impeccable hospitality Naples and Marco Island are known for. Because after everything you’ve been through, only paradise will do,” the marketing campaign tells potential visitors. The decision to advertise during the pandemic was an absolute home run, Commissioner Andy Solis said last week at the county commission meeting. “Because it kept us out there. It kept Collier County as the place to be,” he says. A recent report from the Tourist Development Council shows that the local tourism industry is roaring back, Solis said. “Depending on what information you want to look at, we are anywhere from 1% to 5% down from 2019, which was the record-breaking year of all time. So, it is great news. The hoteliers are doing really well. The group business is starting to come back a little bit,” he said, noting that the data clearly shows that the change in Collier’s marketing campaign for Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades made an incredible difference. “We had some research partners say that, other than the Florida Keys, we were the only market that has bounced back and is really back to where we almost were in 2019,” Solis says.