Photo courtesy Sarasota County: Siesta Key sign after Hurricane Milton.

Note: This article was written and shared on Tuesday, October 8, ahead of Hurricane Milton. 

As recent events have heartbreakingly reminded us, it’s not a matter of if a crisis will arise but when – and this hurricane season has been anything but unexpected. 

As I write this on Tuesday, Oct. 8, Hurricane Milton is rapidly intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico, expected to make landfall as one of the worst storms to impact our region in over 100 years. On Sunday, our team at Visit Sarasota County (VSC) activated our crisis operations and began working in lockstep with Sarasota County Government – and will continue to do so closely throughout the storm and ensuing recovery. 

While emergency services lead the response, VSC plays a vital behind-the-scenes role to ensure the safety of our visitors, businesses, and residents. 

Hurricane Milton is the latest example within a growing list of crises. Hurricane Helene arrived as our community was still recovering from the historic flooding caused by Storm Debby. Excessive rainfall gave way to aggressive storm surge during this latest storm, leaving our neighbors and businesses along the barrier islands in desperate need of relief. While most of Sarasota County remained open and operating normally, Siesta Key, Lido Key and Longboat Key sustained significant damage, revealing a stark contrast within our community.

As the organization tasked with promoting our destination, VSC understands the nuances of navigating the natural disasters our hospitality industry endures each year. Restaurants, attractions and retail shops must batten down the hatches and halt operations, with employees eager (and hopeful) to return to normalcy and earn that next paycheck. Our lodging partners accommodate not only evacuates before the storm but also displaced residents and relief workers as recovery efforts unfold in the days, weeks, and sometimes months following. 

Up to 96 hours in advance of Helene, for example, we were accessing the situation and pivoting our communications and resource-sharing accordingly. This work wasn’t accomplished in a silo. We asked our lodging partners to share room availability ahead of the storm and in the aftermath to assist local officials in providing emergency lodging. By the same token, we’re now encouraging local businesses to share their status – from Helene and Milton – and relaying this to the county for further aid. 

Taking a regional approach, we also connected with tourism bureaus and other associations across Florida to create a united front of support and determine the appropriate time to resume promotional efforts, only when our community is safe and ready to do so.

Knowing full well that hurricanes will continue to be a fact of life here in Sarasota County, we’ve made emergency preparedness a central pillar of our 2025 strategic plan. And there’s a clear reason for this: our local economy relies and thrives on tourism. 

In 2023, visitors to Sarasota County helped sustain 35,000 jobs, resulting in $978 million more in employee wages. Breaking this down even further, for every 92 visitors who come to enjoy the beaches, parks, museums and other attractions, one local job is supported. Tourism sustains and enriches economic opportunity in our community, leading to a better quality of life for all who call Sarasota County home.  

That is why, over the coming year, we’re committed to deepening our collaborations to keep the public informed and our hospitality industry strong. We’ll also continue to fine-tune our crisis management plan to encompass established and emerging best practices for the tourism sector.

Over these long two weeks, our hospitality partners have shared harrowing yet heartwarming stories, of team members and volunteers rallying together to get their businesses back on their feet. Yet, we know a good number has a longer road to recovery – especially in the wake of whatever impacts Hurricane Milton may inflict. 

As our community assesses what these immediate and longer-term needs will be, know that the team at Visit Sarasota County will be ready to help make sure our hospitality industry weathers the storm and comes back stronger than ever. 

Erin Duggan, CDME, is president and CEO of Visit Sarasota County.

Photo courtesy Sarasota County: Siesta Key sign after Hurricane Milton.