The latest Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce tool for steering visitors and islanders to island businesses back in operation after Hurricane Ian has gone live on the Wander: Maps & Navigation app and website. Users can download the local app onto their smart device from the Apple App Store, Google Play, or by scanning the QR code below; or access it online at tinyurl.com/sancapwandermap.
“We have literally put the status of Sanibel and Captiva businesses at your fingertips – whether they’ve reopened on-island or elsewhere such as Bell Tower,” said John Lai, chamber president and chief executive officer. “We have the great flexibility to make changes within minutes when we learn of a new business reopening, a change in hours, traffic glitches due to clean-up operations, and other new information in this ever-shifting post-hurricane world.”
The chamber has populated the interactive map with all island businesses that have opened, whether or not they are chamber members. The easy-to-use, GPS-enabled map also pinpoints beach accesses that have opened, bike parking areas, and the relative location of the user. Points of interest can be conveniently filtered by seven categories: beaches, shopping, attractions, lodging, vacation rentals, services, and off-island businesses.
In partnership with Billy’s Bike Shop on Sanibel Island, the Wander Map app is biker friendly. Billy’s will be distributing information to bicycle renters, posting the map QR code along Sanibel’s shared use path, and keeping users apprised of any parts of the path to avoid due to debris or construction.
“We are only the second Florida community, along with Islamorada in the Florida Keys, to make use of this exciting navigational tool,” said Lai. “We thank the Wander Maps organization for making this application affordable to us and training our team to customize the platform and reduce costs as we as a chamber and community recover from the hurricane. We look forward to the day when individuals will be able to access the technology from our restored visitor center, which we hope to have reopened by April 2023.”
For more information about the chamber Wander Map and to request updates to the app, please contact Aaron Walton at [email protected] or 239-472-8759.
ABOUT SANIBEL & CAPTIVA ISLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to promoting the prosperity of its members and preserving the quality of life of our community. The Chamber plays a key role in facilitating communication and cooperation between business, residents and government to enhance the economic health of the islands. The chamber website receives more than 1.3 million website visits per year. For more information about the chamber, visit sanibel-captiva.org or contact John Lai, president and CEO, at 239-472-2348 or [email protected].
