Visit Sarasota County Wins Statewide Award for Broadcast Advertising

Photo: Visit Sarasota County leadership with the bureau’s Flagler Award (L-R: Andrea Hunt, Vice President of Finance & Administration; Jessica Bertolini, Director of Web & Digital Engagement). Credit: Visit Sarasota County.

SARASOTA, Fla. – (September 17, 2026) – During the 2026 Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism in West Palm Beach, Visit Sarasota County earned statewide acclaim from its industry peers for its broadcast advertising, specifically in new airline service marketing. The tourism bureau brought home a Bronze Flagler Award for its campaign to invite travelers living in regions with recently added or expanded nonstop flights, such as Portland, ME, Raleigh, NC, and Richmond, VA, to Sarasota County.  

A 30-second video commercial promoting our coastline and culture paired with a custom flight overlay feature into the advertising, pulling in real-time flight scheduling, localized airline partners, and direct route details tailored to the viewers’ geographic home. The campaign amassed 6.2 million impressions, reached over 1 million unique households and 1.3 million devices, and led to a 156% lift in travelers considering Sarasota County for an upcoming beach vacation and a staggering 1,062% surge in consideration to fly specifically to SRQ.  

“Given how many new nonstop flights have been added to SRQ Airport in the past few years, it’s a joy to promote them and encourage visitors to consider the experience awaiting them for them once they land in Sarasota County,” said Erin Duggan, President & CEO of Visit Sarasota County. “We’re delighted to be recognized by VISIT FLORIDA and join other destinations in this prestigious Flagler hall of fame, even more so by the visitors who flew into SRQ and chose us as their next vacation destination thanks in part to this now award-winning effort.”  

Named after Henry Flagler, the Father of Florida Tourism, the Flagler Awards is an annual statewide program hosted by VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism marketing organization. Since 2000, the awards have celebrated the best in destination marketing efforts that solidify Florida’s ranking as one of the world’s premier vacation destinations. Each award is selected by a panel of industry judges, evaluated based on the campaign’s quality, effectiveness, and creativity, and is eligible to earn a Bronze, Silver, or Henry designation. 

This is not the first time Visit Sarasota County has earned a spot in this esteemed hall of fame. Most recently in 2025, the tourism bureau won a Silver Flagler Award for tourism advocacy exemplified through its rebranded annual meeting, the Indicators & Insights Summit.  

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 450 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.  

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