Agenda 09/23/2025 Item #11D (Approve a FY 2025-2026 marketing fund)9/23/2025
Item # 11.D
ID# 2025-3479
Executive Summary
*** This item is to be heard at 10:00 AM. ***
Recommendation to approve a FY 2025-2026 marketing fund request totaling up to $5,000,000 from reserves for
enhanced Tourism Marketing efforts to remain competitive, authorize any necessary Budget Amendments, and make a
finding that this action promotes tourism.
OBJECTIVE: To consider an increase to the Tourism advertising budget for enhanced marketing investments of up to
$5,000,000 to ensure Collier County’s competitiveness in the tourism market for FY 2025-2026 (FY 26 ).
CONSIDERATIONS: The Tourism Division administers the Tourist Development Council (TDC) budget and
promotes the destination as a Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB).
At the July 15, 2025 meeting the TDC reviewed the budget for FY 26. During the discussion, the question was raised
about the planned $6 million advertising spend and the $18 million advertising and promotion reserve. In FY 25, a
supplemental $5 million was added to the advertising budget and approved by the Board of County Commissioners by a
vote of 5-0 on November 12, 2024 (Agenda Item 11.A). The TDC requested information from staff on possible options
of utilizing some of the reserves for further advertising and promotion of the destination.
Hotel occupancy is comprised of leisure travel and group travel. A chart below shows the occupancy over the past two
fiscal years.
Time Frame Leisure Group Total
Total FY 2024 46.2% 18.1% 64.3%
FY 2024
(through June)
45.7% 25.8% 71.5%
FY 2025
(through June)
48.8% 18.8% 67.6%
Percent Change
FY 2025
(through June)
3.1% -7.0%
(Downs & St. Germain June 2025 FYTD report presented at August TDC meeting, metrics provided by STR)
Leisure travel are those individuals who book a trip and are not part of a group or conference. Group travel relates to
bookings of 10 rooms or more per night and is sold by a signed agreement. Group travel books a year to a year and a
half in advance.
In FY 24, the occupancy rate placed Collier County at the lowest occupancy rate of leisure sales, compared to the
competitive set of Florida locales. Currently, for FY 25, the destination is still the lowest in hotel occupancy, but now
by only .5% behind the next competitor, Ft. Myers at 49.4%
To help increase the leisure occupancy rate, the supplemental $5 million was utilized to enhance current leisure market
advertising and identify new markets for campaigns. For FY 25, an increase in current markets included Boston,
Philadelphia, Washington DC, Detroit, Cleveland, and Minneapolis. In addition, new campaigns were started in
Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Columbus, Nashville, Charlotte, Denver, and Dallas-Fort Worth.
With an additional 1,000 hotel rooms now in the market, the occupancy rate for FY 25 so far has been a leisure rate of
48.8%, which is an increase of 3.1% from FY 24. More importantly, as the new advertising campaigns started in
December/January of 2025, the leisure travel demand has seen a growth of 15.73% from December to May in FY 25.
This growth has placed Collier County in the middle of our Competitive Set in relation to growth, with Clearwater, St.
Petersburg, and Sarasota showing higher increases of leisure visitors. The trend also has the total occupancy rate above
the year-end total of FY 2024.
The current planned FY 26 advertising budget of $6M places the Tourism advertising budget at 12.35% of the Total
Tourist Development Tax dollar collections. Our competitors range from an average of 37.8%, of their TDT collections
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9/23/2025
Item # 11.D
ID# 2025-3479
spent on advertising, with a range from 16.33% - 75.27%. The current budgeted figure of $6M places Collier County
last in the competitive set.
An increase of the advertising budget allows for further expansion of the top-performing new and current markets from
FY 25, which include Washington, DC, Minneapolis, and Boston (current markets) and the top new markets of Dallas-
Fort Worth, Cincinnati, and Columbus. In addition, Group sales activities can be enhanced, which can assist the Group
occupancy rate in future years (bookings now occurring for 2027 and 2028). Three proposals are attached for review
with a $2.5M, $4M, or $5M investment.
A Summary of the proposals are below.
$2.5 Million Investment
• Stronger marketing presence in currently identified key source markets
• Expand Spring /Summer Campaign to 3 more target markets – Dallas-Fort Worth, Washington DC, and
Philadelphia
• Digital Marketing Enhancements
• Sales Enhancements
$4 Million Investment
• All the 2.5 Million Investment
• Expand the Fall/Winter Campaign to include two additional markets – Boston and Minneapolis
$5 Million Investment
• All the 4 Million Investment
• Add one additional marketing for the Fall/Winter Campaign – Philadelphia
• Collaboration with Luxury Media Partners
ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: At the August 19, 2025 TDC meeting, the $5,000,000 investment
was recommended to build on the top performing markets and obtain the goal of appealing to a luxury travel market.
This was approved by a unanimous vote (7-0).
This item is consistent with the Collier County strategic plan objectives of promoting Collier County as an exceptional
tourism destination.
FISCAL IMPACT: A budget amendment in FY 2025-2026 is required to allocate $5,000,000 from Reserves to
Marketing and Promotional expenses within the Tourism Promotion Fund (1101).
GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: There is no impact to the Growth Management Plan related to this action.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item is approved as to form and legality and requires majority vote for approval. –
CMG
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9/23/2025
Item # 11.D
ID# 2025-3479
RECOMMENDATIONS: To approve a FY 2025-2026 marketing fund request totaling up to $5,000,000 from reserves
for enhanced Tourism Marketing efforts to remain competitive, authorize any necessary Budget Amendments, and make
a finding that this action promotes tourism.
PREPARED BY: John Melleky, Arts and Culture Manager, Tourism
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Supplemental Marketing Investment 9-23-25 BCC Meeting
2. Tourism BA FY26 marketing
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Supplemental Marketing Investment
September 23, 2025
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Situational Analysis
●Competitive destinations continue to increase destination marketing budgets
●Reduced awareness of new hotels and rental properties may hinder
occupancy growth and slow market awareness
●Lowered hotel prices and ADR negatively impact local business health,
profitability, and jobs
●Tourism demand during peak and need periods is vulnerable
$6M FY26 Investment:
2
Challenging Realities
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Competitive Spending
3
DMO Name (Visitor Tax %)County
Total TDT
Collected
FY 2024
“Advertising &
Promotion”
FY 24/25
Percent TDT
Spent on
Advertising
Bradenton Area CVB (6% as of 8/1/24)Manatee $21,880,570 $16,467,791 75.27%
Brevard County/Space Coast (5%)Brevard $25,260,000 $13,400,000 53.05%
Florida Keys TDC (5%)Monroe $61,000,000 $30,000,000 49.18%
Amelia Island CVB (5%)Nassau $11,531,453 $4,624,180 40.13%
Fort Myers/Sanibel (5%)Lee $44,262,302 $12,500,000 28.24%
The Palm Beaches (6%)Palm Beach $86,700,000 $19,799,608 22.83%
Visit Tampa Bay (6%)Hillsborough $65,035,754 $11,300,000 17.38%
Visit Sarasota (6%)Sarasota $48,381,296 $7,900,671 16.33%
Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB (5%)Collier $48,600,000 $6,000,000*12.35%
In order by percent spent on advertising and marketing.
Note: With the addition of another 600 hotel rooms on the horizon, Collier County will have added approximately 1,600 rooms to its inventory over the past two years.
*Collier County Tourism’s marketing budget reached $6M in FY19 and has consistently remained in the $5.5M–$6M range since then. Temporary reductions occurred in FY20
through FY22 due to COVID-19, with the budget returning to $6M in FY23 and continuing at that level through FY25.
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Situational Analysis at the End of FY26
●Partially booked inventory with increased pressure on rates
●Demand slightly increases
○As competitors increase investment and gain ground
●Core audiences maintain loyal
●Tax revenue is moderately growing, but not reaching full potential
●Leveling off of brand visibility in key markets won’t affect high season need
The Challenging Reality:
4
Challenging Realities:Best Case Scenario
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Situational Analysis at the End of FY26
●Momentum is stalled
●Oversupply drastically drives down ADR and partner profitability
●New inventory success is in jeopardy
●Occupancy dramatically declines despite more inventory
●Weakened destination visitation, brand and engagement
●Tourism tax collections face risks that could slow or reverse recent progress
●Peak and need period seasons hang in balance
●One year decline = years of recovery
5
The Harsh Reality:Worst Case ScenarioChallenging Realities:Downside Scenario
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Supplemental Investment for FY26
●Developed in response to TDC request and FY26 TDC priorities
●Informed by performance, data, and trend insights
●Focused on sustaining momentum, growth, occupancy, and revenue
●Strengthens priority markets and expands reach
●Scalable, flexible, strategy-accelerating solutions
Investment
6
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7
Source: [1] STR Demand data for March - June 2025 compared to same period in 2024; [2] KeyData revenue based on Hotel Feeder Market data for March 2025 to July 2025
compared to same period in 2024. [3] Return on ad spend (ROAS) is calculated using initial Adara Impact reports from media partners with observed revenue attribution. Additional
data is expected, which may affect the final results. ROAS represents the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising.
FY25 Marketing Performance Summary
+2.1%
Occupancy[1]
Supply increased 10.3%
+15.13%
Transient
Demand[1]
+6.81%
Enhanced Markets
Hotel Revenue[2]
$14.50
ROAS[3)
Return on Ad Spend
+9.64%
Expanded Markets
Hotel Revenue[2]
+2.6%
$ 42,856,679
Oct-July ‘25 Tax Collections
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$5M Supplemental Marketing Investment
8
Note: Bolded items indicate new additions at the $5M investment level. For example, “Expand Fall/Winter Target Markets (2) (Boston, Minneapolis, and
Philadelphia). This applies to other items like Luxury Media Partner Collaborations as well.
●Stronger presence in currently identified key source markets
●Expand Spring/Summer target markets
○Dallas-Fort Worth, D.C., Philadelphia
●Digital marketing enhancements
●Sales enhancements
●Expand Fall/Winter target markets
○Boston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia
●Luxury Media Partner Collaborations
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Thank You.
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