Sanibel and Captiva Island officials are shifting away from the post-storm messaging that began after Hurricane Ian struck in 2022. For the past several years, advertising campaigns have been aimed at managing visitors’ expectations as the community rebuilt.
A banner on the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce website once read, “Not perfect, but still paradise.” It now reads, “Just another day in paradise.” The update reflects optimism for what city leaders hope will be a strong tourism season.
“We’ve got the most important season I think in our recent history ahead of us,” Sanibel Vice Mayor Holly Smith said during City Council’s Nov. 4 meeting.
The return to traditional marketing comes as more island businesses reopen, Chamber CEO John Lai told council members. Chamber surveys show that by the end of October, more than 72% of chamber-member hotels, retail shops and restaurants had reopened since Hurricane Ian. That includes legacy businesses and those that reopened with new names or services.
“We are at a turning point right now,” Lai said. “… We believe we are well on our way to a full recovery and we could not be more excited to not just be an expectation management site but to go back to the destination marketing that we once did so well and that we continue to do.”
In February 2024, about 25% of chamber-member businesses had reopened. By early 2025, that number had grown to about 50%. The current 72% includes 1,771 hotel rooms, compared with 2,458 before Ian and 77% of vacation rentals back in service.
Shalimar Beach Resort features 33 rebuilt rooms across seven buildings, designed to meet modern hurricane codes following Hurricane Ian.
David Dorsey
Island hotels are enduring the traditional slow season with 30% to 40% occupancy, Lai said. “This is the time of year when we expect it to be slow, but it doesn’t make me feel any better,” he said. “Our goal right now is to make sure [rooms] get filled for season.”
About 73% of restaurants — 35 out of 45 before the storm — have reopened. Seventy-seven percent of shopping center space, excluding stand-alone businesses, is now occupied.
Roughly 28% of chamber-member and other local businesses remain closed. Those still shuttered face some of the island’s most difficult recovery challenges, said Sanibel Mayor Mike Miller.
“We’re not going to get the same increase [in business openings] probably this year because these are tougher issues to deal with that take longer time to recover,” he said.
The chamber will continue working with state and county tourism agencies to promote the message that Sanibel and Captiva are ready to welcome visitors. In May, it launched an $80,000 marketing campaign targeting regional and national markets affected by hurricanes Ian, Helen and Milton.
The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce updated its website banner to read “Just another day in paradise,” signaling a return to traditional tourism marketing as the islands continue to recover from Hurricane Ian.
Sanibel government
The “live, work, play” campaign focused on attracting visitors from the Northeast and Midwest, as well as from Southwest Florida counties including Lee, Charlotte and Collier. It also reached larger Florida markets, such as Pinellas, Hillsborough, Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. Declining international and Canadian travel remains a concern, Lai said.
To further promote the islands, the chamber is highlighting Sanibel, a new board game by award-winning designer Elizabeth Hargrave, expected to debut early next year. The chamber is also encouraging visitors to use its GPS-enabled Wander: Maps & Navigation app, which helps track where tourists stay and where they return home.
“It sounds a little creepy — and it is,” Lai said, “but it helps officials target those areas with advertisements.”