The 170,200 visitors that came to the county between Jan. 1 and March 31 was up 10.5 percent from the same time in 2011. Those trips infused a total of $261.1 million into the local economy, including $165.3 million in direct expenditures, according to the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
During the first three months of the year, hotel occupancy and average daily rates also increased.
Industry stakeholders will tell you these numbers are largely good news because it means the area had a successful winter tourism season, which officially ended Easter Sunday.
But that doesn't mean the visitor's bureau has forgotten about summer and fall either.
The organization is actively working to draw new tourists to Manatee through a slew of marketing, advertising and social media campaigns on eight different platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.
The agency recently purchased a full page color ad in the Sunday magazine insert of the Boston Globe, which carries the potential to reach more than 1 million New England households. But the publication gave the CVB another two-page double truck ad for free (a $67,000 value) just for the business -- leaving Bradenton with a three-page spread on the inside cover.
The visitor's bureau also is planning several pages of advertisements in Florida Trend, and maximizing the potential of the GOP Convention, which is coming to Tampa in late August, through a billboard campaign.
The latest investment was a $25,000 allocation on Monday to help bring a new environmental conference to Anna Maria Island during three days in October. The event has the potential to draw 125 visitors to coastal Manatee, organizers said.
You can read all about the conference in my story today, and for more business updates, follow me on Twitter @JoshSalman
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