What's New
Due to popular demand from meeting planners, The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel on Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast is continuing its Islands Incentive for meetings in the destination through 2014. The program gives planners the opportunity to receive a 5% credit – up to a maximum of $5,000 -- of the total actualized room revenue to be used toward any meeting or conference taking place in the Fort Myers/Sanibel area between May 1, 2012 and December 15, 2012. The destination has reimbursed planners more than $47,000 since instituting the incentive in 2008.
To qualify, planners must book a minimum of 25 rooms per night for three or more consecutive nights at a destination property. The offer applies to new bookings and meetings that have not already been contracted and does not apply to weddings or social groups. Destination properties must have at least 2,500 square feet of meeting facilities, and actualized room revenue will be calculated based on group pick-up at the conclusion of the meeting or conference. The offer is subject to availability, and reimbursement will be issued by the VCB at the conclusion of the meeting. For a list of participating properties, click here
In addition to its Islands Incentive, the destination is helping to address habitat loss and climate change by continuing to make donations to The Conservation Fund’s Go ZeroSM program to offset the carbon footprint of meetings in the destination. Specifically, the VCB is donating to The Conservation Fund 100 percent of the cost of offsetting the CO2 emissions that result from any event within the destination, including attendee travel, facility energy use and off-site functions. The VCB already offsets its own events with the Fund and is encouraging meeting properties and meeting planners to do the same. Since 2008, the destination has donated more than $9,000 to The Conservation Fund to offset the CO2 emissions for area meetings. For additional offer details, click here.
Find out more about meeting on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel with these latest destination developments:
New Air Berlin Service • iNature Trail Debuts • Latest Hotel News • Top-Rated State Parks • Latest Attractions News • Kudos • Green Hotels for Meeting
New Air Berlin Service
Air Berlin (AB) has added a fourth weekly flight to Düsseldorf, Germany, from Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), from July 25 through Sept. 12.
In addition, Air Berlin, Germany’s second largest airline, has joined the Oneworld airline alliance. This allows Air Berlin passengers to have seamless connecting flights and earn frequent flier miles on other Oneworld alliance carriers (American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Qantas, LAN, Iberia, JAL, Cathay Pacific, Royal Jordanian and Malev). Air Berlin operates three weekly nonstop flights to Düsseldorf (DUS), and its partner airlines offer convenient connecting flights to points throughout Europe, Africa and Asia from DUS.
Southwest Florida International Airport provides nonstop service to 47 destinations (43 domestic and four international) on 20 different air carriers. As one of the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger traffic, the airport served more than 7.5 million passengers in 2010.
iNature Trail Debuts
Meeting planners seeking a unique off-site recreational experience for their attendees will find it on the new iNature Trail at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. The first-of-its-kind interactive QR (Quick Response) wildlife trail in the nation and in the 550-plus national wildlife refuges incorporates QR-code scan technology for smartphones to provide visitors with information about the trail, including short, engaging YouTube videos about the wildlife they are experiencing on the trail.
Visitors can scan the 10 QR code signs posted along the trail with free downloadable apps such as Neoscan or QR Scan, and each sign bears separate QR codes for children and adults. Similar in appearance to common bar codes, QR codes typically send scanners to websites for more information. The iNature signs are easily recognizable along the Trail and can be accessed while walking, biking, or driving along it.
The iNature Trail is a significant advancement in nature interpretation. It not only takes advantage of the latest improvements in communication technology, but it also is environmentally responsible because it allows the Refuge to reduce paper waste from brochures.
Latest Hotel News
The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs has launched its new Toy Box program, which helps ease some of the challenges meeting attendees face when traveling with their families. Filled with an assortment of age-appropriate toys and games for toddlers to teens that parents can check out for free, the Hyatt Resorts Toy Box is powered by Toy Tips, a toy testing group. For details, call 239-390-4280 or visit www.coconutpoint.hyatt.com.
Top-Rated State Parks
Two of the six Florida State Parks located at The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel have been ranked third and fourth in popularity among visitors to 160 Florida State Parks. All of the destination’s parks can provide a unique backdrop for off-site recreational activities or for engaging spouse/family programs.
Third most popular in the state is Lovers Key, accessible only by boat and one of four barrier islands that make up this state park. A haven for wildlife, the islands and their waters are home to West Indian manatees, bottlenose dolphins, roseate spoonbills, marsh rabbits, and bald eagles. The two-mile-long beach is accessible by boardwalk or tram and is popular for shelling, swimming, picnicking, and sunbathing. Black Island has more than five miles of trails for hiking and bicycling. Anglers and boaters can launch their vessels from the park's boat ramp. The park's concession offers kayak tours, as well as bicycle, canoe and kayak rentals. Call 239-463-4588 or visit www.floridastateparks.org/loverskey.
Gasparilla Island State Park in Boca Grande ranked fourth. Separated from the mainland by Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound, this island is part of a chain of Gulf Coast barrier islands. The centerpiece of Gasparilla is the restored Boca Grande Lighthouse built in 1890. Swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and nature study are popular activities. Shelling is particularly good in the winter months. Two picnic areas offer pavilions for shade and scenic views of the surrounding water. The lighthouse is open to the public. Call 941-964-0375 or visit www.floridastateparks.org/gasparillaisland.
Latest Attractions News
A variety of new and existing attraction options on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel provide meeting planners with off-site educational or recreational activities as well as unique alternatives for spouse and family programs.
True Tours are providing historical walking tours of the Fort Myers River District, including about 60 minutes of stories of local history and architectural elements of the historical buildings. The tours can include lunch or dinner for groups of 10 or more; and a combination package is offered that includes the walking tour, dinner and a Florida Rep live performance in the historic Arcade Theater. True Tours also offers an after-dark, 60-minute Ghost Tour. For more information, call 239-945-0405 or visit www.truetours.net.
Captiva Cruises is partnering with the Tarpon Lodge and the Randell Research Center in Pineland for a new Friday eco-heritage cruise. Departing from McCarthy's Marina on Captiva Island, the tour takes in the historic stilted fish houses in Pine Island Sound before docking at Tarpon Lodge for lunch followed by a walk of Randell's Calusa Heritage Trail across the street. For more information, call 239-472-5300 or visit www.captivacruises.com.
In addition, Captiva Cruises is partnering with The Edison & Ford Winter Estates to offer boat cruises and tours from Captiva Island to the Estates on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The new tour provides a look at the Caloosahatchee River and its importance ecologically and culturally, a view of the Estates from the water, lunch at the Royal Palm Yacht Club, and a tour of the Estates. For details, call 239-472-5300 or visit www.captivacruises.com.
For German speaking visitors, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates now is offering a German language tour led by a bilingual Estates site historian on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Tickets for the German tour are $25 for adults, $15 for children ages 6-12. Reservations are not required.
The Imaginarium Hands-on Museum in Fort Myers has broken ground on its latest exhibit, Watershed Wonders, an innovative and comprehensive multi-phase science education exhibit focusing on Florida water management. The scale-model exhibit demonstrates watershed ranging from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico, including interactive experiences to show how manmade changes impact the water system. The first phase opened in July 2011.
The Southwest Florida Museum of History in Fort Myers has debuted a new traveling exhibit, "Mambo Man: The Exhibition - a Tribute Exhibit to Pedro 'Cuban Pete' Aguilar." Through Oct. 15, the exhibition showcases the life and times of world-famous "Cuban Pete," featuring spectacular costumes, vibrant music, Mambo Kings movie memorabilia and more.
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island has unveiled a 43-piece duck decoy exhibit sculpted and donated by nationally renowned wildlife carver Jim Sprankle. The collection, which has been valued at $400,000 and courted by the Smithsonian Institution, resides in the Refuge Education Center and demonstrates the evolution of decoys from folk to fine art.
The newly restored Buck Key Paddling Trail in the bay offshore from Captiva Island has reopened. The canopy paddling trail goes through Buck Key, part of Sanibel Island’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge complex. In more news from the refuge, a $40,000 makeover of its Calusa Shell Mound Trail has opened. The new trail features state-of-the-art exhibits and artist renderings of ancient Calusa Indian culture. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/dingdarling.
Sanibel Trails & Tales, a one-stop informational program about Sanibel's top five island attractions, takes place at 9:30 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at the J. N. "Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Representatives from the refuge, Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), and Sanibel Historical Museum & Village present information on each attraction. Admission is free, but registration is recommended. Details can be found at www.sanibeltrailsandtales.org/meet.php.
Popular local artist Leoma Lovegrove recently opened her third Lovegrove Art Gallery in downtown Fort Myers. She also operates popular galleries in Matlacha on Pine Island and on Sanibel Island. To mark the Fort Myers opening, Lovegrove produced a series of prints and note cards that celebrate the downtown lifestyle. Contact her galleries at 239-822-4109 or www.leomalovegrove.com.
Kudos
Sanibel and Captiva islands both ranked impressively high in TripAdvisor’s inaugural 2011 Travelers’ Choice Beach awards. In the “Top 25 Beaches in the World” category, Sanibel Island ranked No. 16, while on the “Top 25 Beaches in the United States” list, Sanibel Island was rated No. 6 and Captiva Island came in at No. 8. TripAdvisor, one of the world’s largest travel websites, recently surveyed more than 2,100 U.S. respondents. The Travelers’ Choice awards are based on real and unbiased reviews and opinions from worldwide travelers.
TripAdvisor also presented the Tarpon Tale Inn on Sanibel Island and the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers each with a 2011 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, an honor given to properties that consistently receive excellent ratings from the travel website's members.
The Gasparilla Inn & Club in Boca Grande has been named to the list of Top 20 Florida Golf Resorts by Condé Nast Traveler readers in the magazine’s 15th annual golf poll. The properties marry “outstanding golf with fantastic lodging, dining and service,” the article stated. Call 941-964-4631 or visit www.gasparillainn.com to learn more about the Inn & Club.
Condé Nast Traveler magazine also listed Sanibel Island for Best Kayaking. The “Your Own Private(ish) Islands” article recommended Tarpon Bay Explorers, J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Casa Ybel Resort, and Over Easy Café.
For the second consecutive year, the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival has been selected as one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events for 2011. The event is set for Nov. 3-6 with a hub at the Sanibel Causeway.
Green Hotels for Meeting
Thirteen meeting properties on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel have been named to the Florida Green Lodging Program. Known worldwide for its shell-strewn beaches, wildlife refuges, and sparkling waterways, the increasingly popular meetings destination offers an ideal location for reconnecting with southwest Florida’s most valuable natural resources. It is for this reason that the destination has always had a strong commitment to the protection and preservation of the environment.
Certified “green” accommodations that host meetings are:
Fort Myers Beach
• DiamondHead Beach Resort, www.diamondheadfl.com, 239-765-7654
• Hampton Inn & Suites, www.fortmyersbeachsuites.hamptoninn.com,
239-437-8888
• Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa, www.pinkshell.com, 239-463-6181
Sanibel Island
• Sundial Beach & Golf Resort, www.sanibelresort.com, 239-472-4151
Fort Myers
• Courtyard by Marriott Fort Myers at I-75 and Gulf Coast Town Center, www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rswap, 239-332-4747
• Crowne Plaza Hotel, www.cpfortmyers.com, 239-482-2900
• Hilton Garden Inn, www.fortmyers.stayhgi.com, 239-790-3500
• Holiday Inn Downtown Historic District, www.holidayinn.com, 239-332-3232
• Hotel Indigo, www.hotelindigo.com, 239-337-3446
• La Quinta Inn & Suites Airport, www.lq.com, 239-466-0012
• Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa, www.sanibel-resort.com, 239-466-4000
Bonita Springs
• The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, www.coconutpoint.hyatt.com, 239-444-1234
Estero
• Hampton Inn & Suites, www.hampton.com, 239-947-5566
Launched in 2004, the Florida Green Lodging Program is a voluntary effort by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to encourage the lodging industry to conserve and protect Florida’s natural resources. The program designates and recognizes lodging facilities that make a commitment to conserve and protect Florida’s natural resources. Its environmental guidelines allow the hospitality industry to evaluate its operations, set goals and take specific actions to continuously improve environmental performance. For more information about the Florida Green Lodging Program or to locate information on a Florida Green Lodge, visit
www.floridagreenlodging.org.
For additional information on the latest developments in hosting meetings on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, contact the Visitor & Convention Bureau’s Group Sales Department at (800) 237-6444 or continue looking through this Meeting Planner section of our Web site.
