<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2wxqlf_1H3lXy9900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2wxqlf_1H3lXy9900" width="1200" height="675" ><figcaption>Pink Shell Beach Resort &amp; Marina overlooks the Gulf on Fort Myers Beach. The resort reported its highest overall revenue in history for fiscal 2026 as Lee County’s tourist development tax collections climbed to their second-highest annual total. Pink Shell Beach Resort &amp; Marina</figcaption></figure>Lee County bed tax collections reached the second-highest level in history for fiscal 2026 as the area continues to recover from Hurricane Ian, county data shows.Lee County collected $56.95 million in tourist development taxes in the fiscal year ending in September, a 21.6% increase over last year. That’s second only to fiscal 2022, an anomaly since it represented pent-up demand following the COVID-19 pandemic.In September 2022, Hurricane Ian crushed the coastline, leading to a 45% drop in collections in fiscal 2023 compared with fiscal 2022. Fiscal 2026 marked the strongest year for collections since then.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2NKcxZ_1H3lXy9900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2NKcxZ_1H3lXy9900" width="1200" height="675" ><figcaption>A Lee County tourism chart shows tourist development tax collections reaching $56.95 million in fiscal 2026, the second-highest annual total on record. Collections plunged 45% in fiscal 2023 following Hurricane Ian before recovering over the next three years. Lee County government</figcaption></figure>“That’s a significant increase and great news,” Lee County Visitor &amp; Convention Bureau Executive Director Pamela Johnson reported at the Tourist Development Council meeting Nov. 12. “What’s promising is how far we’ve come as a community since the storm.”This year’s collections were in line with normal seasonal trends, peaking from January through March, with the July-to-September quarter representing the annual doldrums. But levels were elevated each month over the previous year, with a 21.7% bump in September ending fiscal 2026 on a strong note.Yet performance was uneven across Lee County submarkets.“The larger story here is we are recovering, we are improving, and I think it’s a very good story for September,” Johnson said. “But we know that some communities are still restoring lodging inventory and building demand, particularly in the coastal areas, Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel.”Amid broader economic uncertainty and rising prices for fuel and other items, luxury markets also fared better than lower-cost options. A report for the TDC by Downs &amp; St. Germain Research showed a rise in higher-income travelers during the July-to-September quarter, with median household income reaching $125,000, up from $111,100 in 2025.“[Travel] remains a priority especially for higher spend, higher income travelers,” Johnson said.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2kGxDC_1H3lXy9900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2kGxDC_1H3lXy9900" width="1200" height="676" ><figcaption>Members of the Lee County Tourist Development Council and other attendees gather Nov. 12 at the Administration East Building in downtown Fort Myers. County tourism officials reported that tourist development tax collections rose 21.6% to $56.95 million in fiscal 2026. Evan Williams</figcaption></figure>Pink Shell Beach Resort &amp; Marina on Fort Myers Beach reported its highest overall revenue in the resort’s history for fiscal 2026, including room nights and visitor spending on goods and services, such as restaurants, souvenirs and personal watercraft rentals. Pink Shell grew from one cottage in 1950 to the current 12-acre resort, according to its website.“Best year ever, above 2021 and 2022 for us,” said Bill Waichulis, Pink Shell general manager and a TDC board member. “The best year in our history is what we had.”Waichulis predicts the 2027 season will be on par with or better than 2026.“Except for any black swan event out there, it should be very strong,” he said.The Luminary Hotel &amp; Co. in downtown Fort Myers also showed growth in visitation, with events at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center bringing in guests during the summer months.“We did experience similar momentum, that positive momentum, and that’s really supported by our 40,000-square-foot convention center,” said Director of Sales Megan Dunphy. “And that has a positive effect on residents, attractions and other local businesses.”Hotel occupancy rates, average daily rates and revenue per available room, or RevPAR, also grew in September. Hotel occupancy rose from 44.3% to 46.8%, an increase of 2.5 percentage points, or 5.8% year over year. Average daily rates grew 6.7% to $125.64, and RevPAR grew 12.9% to $58.83.“And that tells us that hotels weren’t simply charging more, they were also filling more rooms,” Johnson said.Bed tax collections were boosted not just by hotels but also by vacation rental properties and other real estate, which accounted for about 44.9% of bed taxes last year.“It’s an important reminder to us that the lodging industry extends well beyond our hotels and resorts,” Johnson said.She added that competition for visitors remains strong.“We really have to keep earning the visitors,” she said. “Competition is so intense not only domestically and, in the state of Florida, but globally.”Events such as the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest helped boost September visitation.The Lee VCB markets aggressively to summer travelers, including many regional visitors who arrive by car instead of plane. While the fourth quarter showed growth, Johnson added that the period shows “opportunities to build demand, particular in a slow month like September.”In the fourth quarter, 895,000 travelers boosted visitation by 17.4% over last year, with direct spending of $738.67 million, up 14.8%, and a total economic impact of $978.24 million, up 18.9%.Visitors from the Midwest dominated the market, followed by travelers from the Northeast, Southeast and West. About 8.8% of travelers were from Florida. Internationally, Canada remained the top market, followed by Germany, the United Kingdom and other destinations.In September, passenger traffic at Southwest Florida International Airport was up 0.2%, essentially flat, while year-to-date traffic of 8,296,202 passengers was down 0.5% at the end of the month.“Looking ahead, the (Lee County) Port Authority has shared with us that they are planning for increased scheduled flight activity over the next three months, which is quite reassuring as we come into the winter travel season,” Johnson said.</div></body>

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Lee County bed tax collections reached the second-highest level in history for fiscal 2026 as the area continues to recover from Hurricane Ian, county data shows. Lee County collected $56.95 million in tourist development taxes in the fiscal year ending in September, a 21.6% increase over last year. That’s second only to fiscal 2022, an anomaly since it represented pent-up demand following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lee County bed tax collections hit second-highest level

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Lee County bed tax collections reached the second-highest level in history for fiscal 2026 as the area continues to recover from Hurricane Ian, county data

Lee County bed tax collections hit second-highest level

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