‘Just Feels Right’ | Lee County and its islands promoted as the place where visitors can relax with the ultimate vacation mindset
With “season” just about ready to kick into full gear across Southwest Florida, county officials and independent agencies are marketing the region far and wide.
Data from the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau showed that in 2024, economic impact from both vacationers and “snowbirds” saw dollars in the billions spent locally.
According to the VCB, 3,199,500 visitors came to the area in 2024, an increase of 15.5% from the year prior. Visitor spending in ’24 generated a total economic impact of $4,951,755,500, an increase of 17.3%.
Despite recent setbacks, VCB officials state that tourism indicators continue to move in a positive direction. The number of passengers traveling through Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) continues on an upward trend, with officials seeing notable growth.
“Each year the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau develops a robust marketing approach designed to attract both domestic and international visitors,” said Tamara Pigott, executive director of the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau. “Key domestic markets areas include the Midwest, Northeast and in-state visitors. The primary international markets are Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.”
According to the VCB’s Sales & Marketing Plan.
Target Audience Strategy is:
• Focus strategies to reach a more qualified audience based on who is currently visiting.
• Continue leaning into addressable audiences and leverage for year-round, 1:1 prospecting.
• Utilize contextual, behavioral, purchase, search, and social targeting to capitalize on demonstrated intent.
• Target past visitors from 2021-2022 and encourage them to return.
The VCB also is focusing on categories such as meeting planners, travel advisors, and weddings.
In terms of an international approach, the VCB is keeping its presence in well-established markets such as Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The VCB hopes to drive inbound visitation and visitor spending by capitalizing on rising international travel. There have also been media campaigns running during key travel-planning periods.
VCB is also using data to learn from new search and booking patters as they return to pre-pandemic levels.
“In addition to directly targeting consumers, the VCB utilizes sales, public relations, and destination weddings efforts to drive additional visitation to the area,” Pigott said. “We also partner with the Lee County Sports Development who helps fill area hotel rooms by hosting amateur sporting events throughout the year.”
In 2024, the “top reasons” for visiting Fort Myers included “relax and unwind,” “beaches,” and “visiting friends/relatives.”
Promotions also play a role in getting visitors to the area, as 38% of visitors recalled promotions within the six months prior to their visit.
Promotions influenced 20% of all visitors to come to Lee County and its islands.
According to data from the VCB, 88.5% of visitors to the area came domestically, with 34.4% from the Midwest, 20% from the Northeast, and 18.9% from the South/Southeast. Internationally, 6.2% of visitors came from Canada, and 2.1 traveled from Germany. Other international markets such as the UK and other European countries made up 3.2% of visitors.
As for how much time is spent here, VCB data shows that visitors spend an average of 6.4 nights in the area, with 25% being first-time visitors, and 21% having visited more than 10 times.
The top communities visitors traveled to were Fort Myers (34%), Cape Coral (18%), Fort Myers Beach (12%), and Bonita Springs (9%).
A new marketing campaign titled “Just Feels Right” was designed around the idea that people want to find moments when they can let go of daily and prioritize their peace of mind, with the underlying premise being that when you reclaim your sense of being present, you can follow what feels right.
“In terms of consumer marketing, the VCB’s ‘Just Feels Right’ campaign is designed around the idea that people want to find moments where they can let go of everyday stressors and prioritize their well-being by visiting the area,” Pigott said. “With a focus on how a vacation to this area feels, the campaign is built around our desire to be adventurous, connected, curious, playful and relaxed.”
The campaign uses emotion and humor to connect with consumers. With short attention spans in mind, the VCB created five 15-second videos based on five key feelings: playful, curious, adventurous, connected and relaxed.
When it comes to total travelers making their way through RSW, 2024 saw record-high numbers. A total of 11,028,182 passengers made their way through the gates last year, the highest on record, and up nearly 1 million from 2023.
According to data from RSW, during July of 2025, 720,973 passengers traveled through RSW, an increase of 6.5 percent compared to July 2024 and the second-best July in the 43-year history of the airport. Year-to-date, passenger traffic is down 0.8%. The traffic leader in July was Delta with 173,395 passengers. Rounding out the top five airlines were Southwest (127,070), American (118,972), United (102,374) and JetBlue (70,046). Southwest Florida International Airport had 6,353 aircraft operations, an increase of 12 percent compared to July
2024.
Cape Coral and Germany
With a strong tie to Germany, Cape Coral is a popular choice for those looking to come to the states from Deutschland.
The German American Club of Cape Coral has been a staple for year in the Cape, and annually holds a two-weekend Oktoberfest event that draws tens of thousands to its Biergarten. Cape Coral is also home to Germany eateries and businesses.
Jens Struck founded Florida-Scout.com, a bilingual (German/English) online magazine that provides practical information and insider tips about Florida. They cover travel, lifestyle, real estate, and local culture.
“Our main audience are German-speaking tourists, snowbirds, investors, and expats,” Struck said. “We reach them primarily through SEO-optimized editorial content, a strong presence in Google search (over 370,000 monthly impressions in July 2025), and targeted social media channels.”
According to Visit Florida and Lee County VCB, Germany is one of the top European source markets. Before the pandemic, Florida welcomed more than 400,000 German visitors annually. Lee County alone registered around 200,000 German-speaking guests per year.
“Cape Coral is particularly popular among home buyers,” Struck said. “In the past decade, several thousand German families have purchased vacation homes in the area, making Germans one of the largest international ownership groups.”
Florida-Scout’s reach covers all German-speaking countries, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
“Within Germany, the majority of our readers come from metropolitan areas such as Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Duesseldorf – cities with a strong tradition of Florida tourism and investment,” Struck said.
Struck launched Florida-Scout in 2012 as a German-language travel magazine. In 2023 they relaunched the site with a fully modernized bilingual setup.
“Since our U.S. naturalization in 2025, we are expanding the platform as a business,” Struck said. “We have also been living in Cape Coral for more than ten years, which gives us deep local insight and connections.”
So, why is Cape Coral such a hit with Germans?
“Cape Coral offers exactly what German travelers and buyers are looking for: waterfront living, boating canals, year-round sunshine, family-friendly neighborhoods, and proximity to beaches like Sanibel, Captiva, and Fort Myers Beach,” Struck said. “Compared to Miami or Naples, Cape Coral is more affordable, less crowded, and still offers a very high quality of life.”
According to Struck’s expertise, there’s no signs of German visitors slowing down their travels to Cape Coral, or even taking up a full or part-time residence.
“Cape Coral has seen continuous growth in German-speaking visitors and buyers,” Struck said. “Even after the pandemic, interest recovered quickly. Today, Cape Coral is often referred to as ‘the secret capital of Germans in Florida,’ with one of the highest concentrations of German-owned vacation homes in the U.S.”
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com