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 of the Destination Management Association International (DMAI). VSC meets the highest standards of professionalism, leadership, fiscal management and ethical principles.

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 County Sports Commission

The Sarasota County Sport Commission (SCSC) is a division of VISIT SARASOTA COUNTY. The primary focus of the SCSC is to generate new visitors through sports events, often referred to as "sports tourism." The mission of the SCSC is to position Sarasota County as a must-experience mid-sized sports destination for local, statewide, national and international athletes of all ages. We accomplish this mission by supporting over 75 sporting events per year and promoting our extensive portfolio of premier facilities.

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 has one of the most powerful and effective tourism media relations in the State - hosting or assisting more than 250 travel writers annually from various media outlets, including print and online. Annually, the VSC is responsible for generating hundreds of millions of media impressions. The VSC also has public relations and representation in the United Kingdom and Germany, along with sales representation in the United Kingdom. Under the direction of its content coordinator the VSC works with area freelancers to produce its own blog, video and photographic content to a loyal social and digital readership of more than 100,000, thus establishing itself as the preeminent authentic voice of Sarasota County attractions and features for visitors.

Visitors Guide

VSC produces the only "Official Sarasota County Visitors Guide", distributed to 100,000 potential visitors annually.

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