About Visit Sarasota County

VISIT SARASOTA COUNTY (VSC) is the official tourism marketing entity and primary provider of visitor information for Sarasota County where tourism is the top industry.

Mission, Vision, and Accreditation

Mission: We make Sarasota County a better place by promoting our community on the world stage.

Vision: Creating a vibrant Sarasota County through tourism.

Visit Sarasota County is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, a program Destinations International. VSC meets the highest standards of professionalism, leadership, fiscal management and ethical principles.

Our Board

VSC Staff

Meetings

Visitor Diversity Statement

We are proud of the diverse communities and cultures which help make up our destination and are equally proud of and welcoming to the broad diversity of travelers who choose our destination for their leisure, sports and meeting needs. We continue to commit to extending our very best hospitality to all those who come to experience the vast options our great destination offers.

Sarasota Visitors Information Centers

VSC operates three official Sarasota Visitors Information Centers and a Visitor Information Vehicle. The Visitors Center is staffed by fifty knowledgeable volunteers who welcome millions visitors and newcomers a year to the area. The Visitor Information Vehicle provides visitor information outside the walls of the Visitor Centers by appearing at popular tourism spots and events.

Media Relations

VSC maintains a robust media relations program designed to generate ongoing awareness and earned exposure for Sarasota County across print, digital, broadcast and social platforms. The organization works with journalists, travel writers, influencers and content creators throughout the year, hosting and assisting with individual and group visits that inspire authentic destination storytelling and showcase Sarasota County to a wide range of audiences. VSC also maintains both public relations and travel trade sales representation in the United Kingdom and Germany, helping extend the destination’s reach in key international markets. Through its owned content channels, VSC produces and shares blogs, video, photography and social content that highlight Sarasota County’s attractions, experiences and communities while engaging a loyal digital audience and reinforcing VSC as a trusted source of destination information.

Visitors Guide

VSC produces and distributes 80,000 copies of the Official Sarasota County Visitors Guide annually, complemented by a digital version that generates at least 10,000 virtual views and downloads each year. In addition, VSC produces 20,000 mini guides specifically for travelers visiting VISIT FLORIDA Welcome Centers, providing another targeted way to reach potential visitors already traveling within the state.

VisitSarasota.com

VisitSarasota.com is the official and comprehensive visitor web site for Sarasota County, serving vacationers from across the globe, travel writers, meeting planners, sports event holders, leisure groups such as weddings and reunions and travel agents. It is the primary consumer site showcasing the County's tourism assets with partner listings, maps, articles on possible vacation experiences. In 2019, the website garnered approximately 5.1 million page views, and nearly 655,000 referrals. Visit Sarasota County also serves niche markets, such as the arts with VisitSarasotaArts.org, the sports market with Sports.VisitSarasota.org, the eco market with DiscoverNaturalSarasota.org, and the culinary market with SavorSarasota.com.

Partnership Services

Visit Sarasota County hosts exclusive networking opportunities for the tourism industry through Hospitality Connections and education. Providing valuable resources and exclusive industry insight to our partners is a priority at Visit Sarasota County. We host monthly Tourism U series that provide tools, tips and insights on the industry and working with our team. Topics vary and include public relations, marketing, website, sports and more.

Industry Awards

VSC is recognized with numerous national and state awards for our innovative programs and impactful solutions to problems facing our industry.

Awards include:

Visit Florida Flagler Awards
Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), Adrian Awards
Southeast Tourism Society's Shining Example Awards
National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC)
Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA)
U.S. Cultural and Heritage Association SASI Awards
Travel Weekly Magellan Award