Tourism

The region's economic engine

By Naples Daily News staff

The Southwest Florida tourism industry enjoyed a strong 1995 and 1997 is shaping up to be another great year.

"People wonder why the number of tourists has increased; they should expect it - we're now marketing this place,'' said John E. Ayres, managing partner for the Edgewater Beach Hotel and chairman of the Naples Visitors' Bureau.

In addition to the promotional efforts of the bureau, a private organization representing five hotels, the NATB and the CVB have been conducting campaigns in the United States and abroad to attract visitors to Collier County for the summer and fall, that is off season. Their programs, launched in 1993, are supported through a 2-percent bed tax.

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