Erin Duggan runs Visit Sarasota County with a simple mission she sums up bluntly: put heads in beds. As a 501(c)(6) private-public partnership, not a government agency, the organization is funded almost entirely by the tourist development tax -- a tax only paid by people staying in short-term rentals, hotels or vacation properties -- and Duggan is tasked with raising an additional 10 percent in private partner dollars every year on top of that, a target the organization consistently hits or exceeds. Sarasota County now collects six pennies of tourist development tax, a jump from five in just the last two years, and collections have grown from about $15 million a decade ago to more than $48 million last year, a roughly 300 percent increase.
Where the Money Actually Goes
Duggan is direct about a common misconception: Visit Sarasota only receives about 20 percent of that tax revenue for marketing and promotion. The single biggest chunk funds beach maintenance and renourishment, which is why Sarasota County residents park at the beach and cross its bridges for free, unlike some neighboring counties. Other allocations fund Ed Smith Stadium and CoolToday Park, the county's two spring training facilities; Nathan Benderson Park's rowing venue; Arts Alliance grants for cultural organizations; and a planned indoor sports complex near Benderson Park designed to be flexible enough for everything from taekwondo to indoor soccer. Duggan, a Sarasota native who grew up attending Fruitville Elementary, McIntosh Middle and Riverview High, says even she was surprised to learn where all of it goes once she started explaining it out loud.
The organization also runs its own podcast, Behind the Masterpiece, producing 52 episodes a year hosted by Sarasota Rising's Jeffrey Kin and Arts Alliance CEO Brian Hirsch, aimed at the arts-and-culture visitor segment Duggan calls one of the organization's nine distinct target audiences -- alongside sports tourism, where the group struck a name-image-likeness deal with Riverview High graduate and Olympic medalist swimmer Emma Weyant, and general leisure travel, currently built around a seasonal campaign called "the Sarasota Keys are calling."
Roundabouts Have Grown on Her
Asked whether her feelings on roundabouts have changed since they started appearing around town, Duggan says something clicks: she loves them now, but admits it took time -- they've grown on her the way, she notes, roundabout sentiment seems to have grown on the podcast's listeners over 94 episodes. Visit Sarasota even maintains educational content on its website explaining how to use them properly, work Duggan says began after the city of Sarasota's communications team asked for help getting tourists up to speed.
She recommends Economic Development Corporation president Aaron Silk, Mote Marine's Dr. Michael Crosby or Kevin Cooper, and Sarasota Opera board chair Richard Russell as future guests.
What you'll take away
- Sarasota County's tourist development tax has grown from about $15 million a decade ago to more than $48 million last year, a roughly 300 percent increase
- The largest share of that tax funds beach maintenance and renourishment, which is why county beach access and parking remain free
- Visit Sarasota receives only about 20 percent of tourist development tax revenue for its own marketing and promotion budget
- The organization struck a name-image-likeness sponsorship with Olympic swimmer and Riverview High graduate Emma Weyant
- Visit Sarasota produces its own weekly arts-and-culture podcast, Behind the Masterpiece, hosted by Jeffrey Kin and Brian Hirsch
“We are a destination of ands, not ors. You can love the beach and love art. You don't have to choose.”
“Content is king, but distribution is queen, and she wears the pants.”
Places mentioned: Nathan Benderson Park, Ed Smith Stadium, CoolToday Park, Siesta Key, Riverview High School