What Visit Sarasota County does

Visit Sarasota County is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Sarasota County, Florida, founded in 1982 and structured as a county-government-funded entity under Sarasota County Government. Its primary funding source is the Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax, a levy on temporary accommodations, supplemented by partner and member fees from local tourism businesses. The organization's core product is the visitsarasota.com portal — a Drupal-based content management platform that aggregates trip planning tools, event calendars, interactive maps covering 13 geographic areas (from Siesta Key to North Port), directory listings, and digital guides for Sarasota, Venice, Longboat Key, Lakewood Ranch, and surrounding communities.

The product surface extends beyond the website into mobile engagement (Beach Pass app for gamified, location-based prize unlocks; Seasons of Sunshine Pass for year-round exploration incentives), owned media (Behind the Masterpiece arts and culture podcast, YouTube channel, email newsletter), and dedicated B2B service lines including a Meetings & Weddings planning arm, a Sports Commission (sports.visitsarasota.com) supporting tournaments and athletic events, and a Film Commission (filmsarasota.com) supporting screen productions. Distribution is multi-channel: official website, mobile apps, organic social (Facebook, Instagram with #MySarasota), YouTube, email, physical visitor centers, travel-trade partnerships, and ecosystem partnerships with Visit Florida, Brand USA / Visit The USA, and Destinations International.

The go-to-market model is direct-to-consumer targeting leisure travelers, families, sports enthusiasts, arts and culture seekers, romance and wedding travelers, meeting planners, and prospective relocators — segments facilitated through the "Florida's Cultural Coast" registered trademark and reinforced by anchor-institution partnerships (The Ringling, Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota Opera, MLB spring training tenants at CoolToday Park, Nathan Benderson Park). Revenue mechanics are entirely non-transactional: the DMO does not charge consumers, instead deriving operational funding from the Tourist Development Tax and from member/partner contributions from the 500+ local tourism businesses in its network.

Name

Visit Sarasota County

Legal name

Visit Sarasota County

Website

https://visitsarasota.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Visit Sarasota County is the official, county-funded destination marketing organization for Sarasota County, Florida. It operates visitsarasota.com, two mobile engagement apps, a podcast, and Sports and Film Commissions to promote leisure, cultural, and event tourism.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarasota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tourist Development Tax Funding: Visit Sarasota County is funded through the Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax, a levy on temporary accommodations. This tax revenue supports the organization's marketing operations, visitor services, and tourism promotion activities throughout the county.
2. Partner and Member Fees: The organization likely generates supplementary revenue through partnership fees, member dues, and promotional fees from local tourism businesses participating in its marketing programs and directory listings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Visit Sarasota County is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Sarasota County, Florida. It promotes the region known as 'Florida's Cultural Coast' to leisure travelers through a comprehensive tourism information portal, mobile engagement apps, content marketing, and curated trip planning resources. The organization also operates distinct B2B service lines for meetings and weddings, sports events, film production, and travel trade professionals, supported by visitor centers and partnership networks.

Product overview

Visit Sarasota County operates as the official destination marketing organization for Sarasota County, Florida, functioning as a comprehensive tourism information platform. The core product is the visitsarasota.com website, which serves as a unified portal for travel planning. The product portfolio includes mobile engagement tools (Seasons of Sunshine Pass and Beach Pass mobile apps for unlocking prizes), digital content offerings (Behind the Masterpiece arts podcast, eNewsletter), planning resources (Free Visitors Guide, Digital Maps & Brochures), event management services (Events Calendar), and specialized B2B services for meetings, sports events, film productions, and travel trade professionals. The platform also provides accessibility resources and relocations guides, positioning itself as a complete destination management system rather than a single software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Beach Pass: Mobile application for exploring area beaches and earning exclusive prizes
• Seasons of Sunshine Pass
• Behind the Masterpiece

Products and services

• Visit Sarasota County Website
• Beach Pass Mobile App Mobile application feature allowing users to unlock exclusive prizes while exploring area beaches through location-based interactions, driving visitor engagement and extended stays. Targets leisure travelers and beach visitors.
• Seasons of Sunshine Pass Mobile pass offering year-round exploration of the Sarasota area with exclusive content and prizes across all seasons, from spring markets and summer sunsets to fall festivals and holiday lights. Targets visitors seeking seasonal experiences throughout the year.
• Behind the Masterpiece Podcast Arts and culture podcast bringing behind-the-scenes stories from stages and studios along Florida's Cultural Coast, produced by Visit Sarasota County. Targets culturally inclined visitors and arts enthusiasts.
• Trip Ideas and Itineraries Curated travel itineraries and inspiration guides covering activities for adventurers, art-filled visits, outdoor exploration, family adventures, romantic getaways, and more. Serves leisure travelers at the trip planning stage.
• Free Visitors Guide Comprehensive visitors guide covering things to do, places to see, where to eat, shop, play and stay in Sarasota County, available for free order. Serves prospective visitors in the trip planning phase.
• Events and Festivals Calendar Comprehensive event listing platform featuring festivals, concerts, sporting events, and community celebrations across Sarasota County with filtering by date, type, and location. Serves visitors seeking things to do during their stay.
• Digital Guides, Maps and Brochures Downloadable and online resources including maps, brochures, and digital guides for trip planning in Sarasota County. Serves visitors needing printable or downloadable reference materials.
• eNewsletter Email newsletter keeping subscribers informed on upcoming events and the latest news in Sarasota County. Serves prospective and past visitors interested in staying updated on destination news.
• Meetings and Weddings Planning Planning resources for group events, meetings, conventions, and weddings in Sarasota County. Serves meeting planners, event coordinators, and wedding planners seeking venue and service support.
• Sports Commission Sports tourism support services facilitating sporting events, tournaments, and athletic competitions in Sarasota County. Serves sports event organizers, tournament directors, and athletic associations.
• Travel Trade Resources Resources and partnership opportunities for travel trade professionals including tour operators and travel agents. Serves travel agents and tour operators promoting Sarasota to their clients.
• Film Commission Support services for film productions including location scouting, permits, and local crew connections in Sarasota County. Serves film production companies, location scouts, and production managers.
• Accessible Travel Resources Resources and information supporting accessible travel in Sarasota County for visitors with disabilities. Serves travelers with accessibility needs and their companions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 215,000 annual attendees at Florida Studio Theatre alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sarasota Powerboat Grand PrixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2024The Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix is a signature annual event generating $5 million+ in economic impact. Nearly 70 powerboat race teams compete, with the event recognized as the second longest continuously running powerboat race in the world. Visit Sarasota County promotes this event as a key driver of tourism during the typically slow September season.
• Florida Studio TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading performing arts venue reaching 215,000+ annual attendees with five theatres. Serves as anchor institution for Sarasota's arts and culture positioning under the 'Florida's Cultural Coast' brand, hosting the Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week kickoff and major theatrical productions.
• The RinglingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Art Museum of Florida occupying 66-acre bayfront grounds. Home to the Summer Circus Spectacular and key cultural events. Major anchor for arts and culture tourism marketing, with Ca' d'Zan mansion and world-class art collections.
• Visit FloridacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial state tourism marketing organization partnership for Florida. Provides state-level promotional support, visitor referral programs, and coordinated marketing campaigns across Florida destinations.
• Brand USA / Visit The USAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational tourism marketing partnership through Brand USA's VisitTheUSA.com platform, supporting international visitor attraction to Sarasota County destinations.
• Destinations InternationalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal accreditation and professional development association for destination marketing organizations. Visit Sarasota County maintains accredited membership demonstrating professional standards in tourism marketing.
• Sarasota County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernmental funding partner providing Tourist Development Tax revenue to fund Visit Sarasota County operations. Manages parks, beaches, and transportation infrastructure that underpin tourism offerings.
• Atlanta Braves / CoolToday ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor League Baseball spring training at CoolToday Park in Wellen Park draws baseball fans and supports sports tourism. Partnership includes visitor promotion around spring training games.
• Nathan Benderson ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-class rowing and paddling venue hosting national and international competitions including the Sarasota International Dragon Boat Festival. 400-acre lake with 3.4-mile paved trail attracts sports tourism visitors.
• Savor Sarasota Restaurant WeekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual culinary event featuring prix-fixe menus at 85+ area restaurants during June 1-14. Restaurant Week is now in its 21st year and serves as signature foodie tourism promotion for the destination.
• Florida State Parks (Myakka River State Park)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Florida's state park system featuring Myakka River State Forest with canopy trails, airboats, and wildlife viewing. Myakka River is designated as Florida's only 'Wild & Scenic River'.
• Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional airport serving Sarasota with direct flight connections from Boston (BOS), Charlotte (CLT), Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Columbus (CMH), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), and New York JFK.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Visit Tampa Bay: Official destination marketing organization for Tampa Bay, Florida—the most directly comparable county/regional DMO peer, identical function (destination marketing funded by tourist development tax), overlapping leisure-traveler audience, and co-located Gulf Coast geography.
• Visit Florida: State-level tourism marketing organization for Florida—direct partner of Visit Sarasota County and the closest functional peer, performing destination marketing at the state scale that bundles county-level DMOs; same revenue model (tourism tax–funded) and overlapping brand-building mandate.
• Visit Naples: DMO for Collier County / Naples on Florida's southwest Gulf Coast—an adjacent-county DMO peer with virtually identical leisure-beach positioning, similar revenue model (TDT funding), and overlapping competitive set for high-end leisure travelers.
• Visit Orlando: DMO for the Orlando region and one of the largest U.S. destination marketing organizations; directly comparable function (county/state tourism marketing, TDT funding) competing for overlapping Florida leisure visitors.
• Choose Chicago: Official DMO for Chicago—a municipal-scale destination marketing organization performing identical functions (content, campaigns, convention sales, partner distribution) and funded through comparable hotel-accommodation taxes.
• Visit Denver: Official city/county DMO for Denver performing identical destination marketing functions—content publishing, events calendar, visitor guides, partner programs—funded through lodging tax receipts and competing for similar domestic U.S. leisure visitors.
• Brand USA (Visit The USA): The national destination marketing organization for the United States and a direct partner of Visit Sarasota County; the same destination-marketing function executed at the country level, addressing international leisure demand through global content and partner programs.
• Visit California: State-level DMO for California—same destination marketing function with tourism-tax funding, large content library and partner ecosystem; a scale-up peer showing how the DMO model expands geographically.
• NYC & Company: Official DMO for New York City—comparable destination-marketing organization running content, events, conventions, and international visitor programs funded through city tourism assessments.

Others

• Destinations International: Global trade association for destination marketing organizations—not a peer in the operating sense but the principal industry body that accredits Visit Sarasota County, sets DMO standards, and represents the industry ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/visitsarasota
• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitSarasota
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitsarasotacounty
• Xx.com/VisitSarasota
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visit-sarasota-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Visit Sarasota County