Collier County tourism and direct spending numbers increase in November 2023.

The head of the Tallahassee-based Downs & St. Germain market research agency, Joseph St. Germain, revealed the November data, which revealed that over 207,000 tourists visited Collier County—a 15% rise from November 2022, when the county was still recovering from Hurricane Ian.

“Not a lot of people were visiting their second homes or visiting friends and family post-hurricane, so that’s why you see more visitors and more visitor days,” St. Germain said.

Direct spending increased along with the increase in visits, primarily due to dining out and shopping. Over $226 million was spent directly on tourism, a 15% increase over $196 million in November 2022, according to a recent article by Samantha Roesler of GulfShore Business.

“You had a lot of recovery workers still in the market in November [2022], and they just have different spending patterns than your typical leisure visitor,” St. Germain added.

Due to damage and protracted closures of numerous properties, November 2022 saw a dramatic decrease in hotel occupancy. Occupancy numbers decreased in November as more hotels, such as The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, and Beach & Golf Resort, opened in 2023. In November 2022, hotels had an average of 60% full rooms, while in November 2022, 68% of available rooms were booked. November 2023 occupancy was steady compared to pre-pandemic 2019, indicating a 1% decline, despite 2022 being an anomalous year.

Additionally, November 2023 saw a surge in foreign visitors, with 33,000 coming from outside, up from 20,000 in November 2022. Although it has been steadily rising since 2021, this number has not yet reached 2019 levels.

While Paul Beirnes, the former director, is being searched for a replacement, Sandra Rios, the county’s tourism bureau’s manager of communications, is serving as the acting director of tourism in the interim. According to her, the figures ought to start to rise again in 2025.

Within the coming month, Rios added, there will be a significant update on the hiring of a new tourist director. To take a position as vice president of the Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau, Beirnes left in November. Eight of the 91 applicants who submitted applications to succeed Beirnes have been chosen to move on to the interview round, which starts on January 18.

This article originally appeared on GulfShore Business.