The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel is using its presence at WTM London 2017 to launch a new brand campaign for 2018 – “It’s what surrounds you”.

The concept behind this tagline is to encourage visitors to Lee County in northwest Florida and to explore all aspects of the region. The region can offer, among other things, arts and culture, fresh seafood and outstanding beaches. The campaign will cover six main areas: romance and honeymoon, food, family, island hopping, wildlife, and sailing.

It expects the dedicated campaign will build on its existing successes, including the Offshore Sailing School’s women-only sailing courses off Captiva Island. Women can learn to successfully captain a range of boats including daysailers, monohulls and catamarans. The courses start with the first two days learning the basics whilst staying overnight ashore and then set sail for six days of more complex sailing education moving from port to port around the Gulf of Mexico.

As well as its natural coastline, the area is home to a three-are water park. The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs recently opened, with more than $7 million spend on new features including three, three-storey waterslides with two speed slides and one inner-tube slide with a heated lazy river.

The region’s local nearest international airport is Southwest Florida International Airport. German airline Eurowings is set to debut flights from Cologne-Bonn into the airport in time for the summer 2018 season.

Further ahead, in 2019 a new property is opening as part of the Autograph Collection Hotels, Marriott International’s high-end, boutique brand. The hotel will be 12-storeys high and feature 237 guest rooms and suites overlooking the historic river district.  An unusual addition is a culinary theatre which will welcome internationally acclaimed chefs to teach culinary techniques to guests as well as members of the public.

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