# Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau

Visit Fort Myers is the official destination marketing and management organization for Lee County, Florida. The bureau promotes the area’s islands, beaches, and neighborhoods to leisure, meetings, and travel-trade audiences, working with local partners to grow year-round visitation and steward tourism’s economic impact. Operations and programs are overseen by the county’s Tourist Development Council and funded by the local tourist development tax.

Bonafide ID: DMO-O5CIIE93PWZ7
Official Website: visitfortmyers.com

## Founding Date
1982

## Global Presence
• 3.2M visitors (↑15.5% YoY).
• $3.1B in visitor spending.
• $4.95B total economic impact.
• ~42,000 jobs supported by tourism

## Sustainability & Social Impact Goals
Ongoing initiatives encouraging eco-friendly travel, CSR activities (e.g., beach cleanups with KLCB, support for Harry Chapin Food Bank), and earlier carbon-offset partnership for meetings (with The Conservation Fund).

## Brands Portfolio
Destination brand (“Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches & Neighborhoods”); programs & assets include Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, Shellcast podcast, Sun Saver Passport, research dashboards, and neighborhood guides.

## History & Evolution
In 1982–83, Lee County voters established the tourism organization and Tourist Development Council (TDC), introducing a tourist tax to promote off-season travel. Through the 2000s and beyond, the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau expanded its programs to include beaches and shoreline funding as well as support for events and the arts. In 2021, the destination brand evolved to “Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches & Neighborhoods.” From 2023 to 2025, the organization has focused on post-Hurricane Ian recovery marketing—such as the #MyFortMyers campaign—and has seen renewed visitor growth throughout 2024.

## Social Media - Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/VisitFortMyers/ - @VisitFortMyers

## Other Information
• Funding programs for Beach & Shoreline, Events Marketing, Arts & Attractions.
• Performance Dashboard & research (visitor profile/quarterly reports).
• Community partnerships (Keep Lee County Beautiful, industry campaigns).
• Historic eco-partnership with The Conservation Fund for meeting carbon offsets.

## Social Media - LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/fort-myers-islands-beaches-and-neighborhoods/

## Social Media - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@exploreasheville

## Number of Employees
30+

## Social Media - Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/visitfortmyers/ - @VisitFortMyers

## Sustainability Focus
Emphasis on eco-/responsible tourism and CSR, including beach cleanups with Keep Lee County Beautiful and community food-insecurity initiatives; long-running eco-tourism positioning.

## Recent Developments
• Visitor growth in 2024 and rising economic impact.
• Recovery marketing & community campaigns (e.g., “Take Me Out to Fort Myers” for National Travel & Tourism Week; Light Up Lee).
• Ongoing industry promotion & cultural experience features in regional media.
• Property reopenings (e.g., Sanibel Inn ribbon cutting noted on LinkedIn).

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## Data Claim Check

Timestamp: 2026-05-28T20:08:56.933Z
Serial: 20260528200856
Shibboleth: calyx-molybdenum-didgeridoo