State and Local Tourism Bureaus Bring National Morning Radio Show to Sarasota

The dog days of summer were anything but in Sarasota as VISIT FLORIDA and Visit Sarasota County collaborated to host the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show – a nationally syndicated radio broadcast reaching 2.6 million daily listeners across 70 markets – to promote local attractions and experiences in destination. The morning show broadcasted LIVE from the new Cirque St. Armands Beachside hotel from July 28 to August 1 as part of its annual KiddNation Family Vacation special broadcast. 

Following their LIVE broadcasts throughout the week, the Kidd Kraddick show visited local businesses and shared their experiences on-air, online, and across social media. Their adventures included a trolley tour with Discover Sarasota Tours and a visit to The Ringling, where local legend Nik Wallenda made a surprise appearance. Other highlights included a trampoline class at The Circus Arts Conservatory, an afternoon at Sarasota Jungle Gardens, a culinary tour of Downtown Sarasota and a resort day at Lido Beach Resort. They also enjoyed a sunset boat cruise with High Tide Tiki Tours, an e-bike tour through Myakka River State Park and dining experiences ranging from Siesta Key Oyster Bar to O’Leary’s Tiki Bar & Grill, among other local favorites.

The week following the broadcast, from Aug. 2 through Aug. 8, the morning show gave listeners a chance to win this same vacation each morning. 

“A marketing opportunity like this with such national reach is rare, even more so when it perfectly aligns with our slower summer tourism season to bring a needed boost to our local economy,” said Kelly Harb, vice president of marketing and communications at Visit Sarasota County. “With the support of VISIT FLORIDA and genuine enthusiasm from the entire team at the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show and community partners, Sarasota’s award-winning accommodations, attractions and experiences found a welcome place on national airwaves.”

This media opportunity is the latest collaboration between Visit Sarasota County and VISIT FLORIDA – the state’s official destination marketing organization charged with protecting and promoting its $142 billion vacation brand through global marketing, public relations and travel trade efforts. Case in point, the over 200 minutes of dedicated airtime and 170 social media posts promoting the destination already has trickled into 50 million impressions, and $5.4 million+ in broadcast media value. 

To listen to the Kidd Kraddick Morning show, revisit its Sarasota content, and explore the same local experiences as its hosts, visit www.kiddnation.com/sarasota-family-vacation-2025/.

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. Through programs and partnerships, VSC makes Sarasota County a better place by promoting our community on the world stage. These efforts bring together over 500 partners to keep visitors coming, local businesses open and residents employed all year. VSC is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, a program of the Destination Management Association International (DMAI). To learn more, visit www.visitsarasota.com. 

About VISIT FLORIDA
VISIT FLORIDA is the Sunshine State’s official tourism marketing corporation and travel planning resource for visitors across the globe. As Florida's No. 1 industry, tourism was responsible for welcoming a record-setting 143 million visitors in 2024, an increase of 1.6% from 2023. In 2023, the Florida tourism industry generated $127.7 billion in economic impact and supported 2.1 million Florida jobs, making tourism a key economic engine benefiting Florida families. The Florida Legislature’s independent Office of Economic and Demographic Research calculates VISIT FLORIDA’s ROI as delivering $3.3 in return to the state for every public dollar invested, making VISIT FLORIDA one of the best performing economic development programs in state history. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations and visitor services programs, and works with travel industry partners throughout the state. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, follow @FloridaTourism on X, connect on LinkedIn, or go to visitflorida.org. For inspiration in the Sunshine State follow @VISITFLORIDA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit www.visitflorida.com. For media resources, visit www.visitfloridamedia.com.

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Media Contacts:

Visit Sarasota County

Hunter Carpenter, Director of Community Relations & Partnership
941-893-0090 (cell) | [email protected]