DESTINATIONS THE US | FLORIDA
SELLING TIPS
Maggi Smit managing director, America As You Like It
E Rapid repairs: Fort Myers has done a tremendous job of repairing many hurricane- damaged buildings and hotels.
EWealth of activities: Fort Myers Beach offers kayak tours, nature discovery programmes, dolphin adventure tours and guided beach walks.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Bottlenose dolphins; the aftermath of Hurricane Ian; Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina; the hotel’s beach; PICTURES: Shuttersock/Tory Kallman, Felix Mizioznikov, Ami Parikh; Brian Tietz; Alice Barnes-Brown
also increased airlift – British Airways flights to Tampa, the nearest major airport, were upped to daily in January. Simultaneously, Fort Myers is doubling down on its efforts to raise awareness among UK agents. Travel professionals can learn
more about the region during this year’s Visit Florida Roadshow, where destination representatives will be meeting agents in Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester. Increased online and in-person training will help educate, while a fam trip running later in the year aims to introduce more agents to the region’s delights. At the recently renovated Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina, sales manager Dony Taylor explains that British visitors make up a valuable crop of summer (low-season) visitors who tend to combine a trip to the amusement parks of Orlando or the vibrant streets of Miami with the “peace and quiet” of Fort Myers.
44 25 APRIL 2024 The sand in
Fort Myers is made of corals and seashells whittled into powder by the gentle lapping of the sea
The Key West Express, a catamaran that whisks travellers to the Florida Keys in three-and-a-half hours, also sails from here – providing another convenient connection with a place that’s beloved by Brits.
IN THE PINK On my first morning in Fort Myers, I roll out of my giant bed and hit the beach outside the Pink Shell, where the sand is freshly raked and laid out with turquoise sunbeds and umbrellas. Hurricane Ian swept up
a lot of sand from this beach – then deposited it in the hotel’s swimming pool – so the beach has been refreshed with new grains. The sand in Fort Myers is made
of corals and seashells whittled into powder by the gentle lapping of the sea, so it’s even softer than the crushed-up quartz I grew up building sandcastles on in Dorset; it feels like walking on soft, light- brown (or in this case, white) sugar. A heavenly sensation underfoot. A 30-minute drive across estuaries and causeways lies Sanibel, one of more than 100 barrier islands around Fort Myers. If clients are fans of the beach, a day here is worthwhile, as the shores of Sanibel are renowned for their seashell-collecting potential. Thanks to their unique position in Gulf of Mexico currents, up to 250 types of shell wash up here. More than half of Sanibel’s land mass is nature reserve, and animal populations have been
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travelweekly.co.uk
E Convenient transport: Options include renting a bicycle, which is a popular choice for those looking to casually explore the area. Golf carts are a street-legal and leisurely way to get around. There is also a free trolley bus to discover Fort Myers Beach.
E City sights: Don’t forget to explore Fort Myers city, particularly the Edison and Ford Winter Estates beside the Caloosahatchee River, which are home to a historical museum and an eight-hectare botanical garden.
E Multi-centre trips: A visit to Fort Myers can be combined with cities such as Miami, Tampa or Sarasota to make an excellent two or three-centre Florida holiday.
Edison and Ford Winter Estates
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