In order to better serve visitors each year, the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce recently held a trolley tour for its staff and Francis P. Bailey Jr. Visitor Center volunteers. The Chamber staff and volunteers toured 24 Sanibel and Captiva businesses in two days to learn new information and see changes in the past year.
“We put the annual trolley tour together to provide our staff and volunteers with the knowledge and experience to effectively answer questions from our visitors,” said Chamber President John Lai.
Organized by Visitor Experience Director Cory Mills, the trolley tour features guided tours at each stop and includes lunches at George & Wendy’s Seafood Grill and Keylime Bistro. While a majority of the stops were at Chamber lodging partners, there were popular tourist destinations ranging from The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, The Sanibel Library, Offshore Sailing School and The Bubble Room.
“Our staff and volunteers are very dedicated people, who want to help visitors enjoy their time on our islands,” Mills said. “We appreciate the participating businesses this year who took the time to help us better inform visitors about their offerings.”
The Visitor Center, open 365 days a year, is the welcome center to the islands and often the first stop for new arrivals. Due to the trolley tour, staff and volunteers are able to expertly answer any questions on things to do, places to visit, where to stay, shop or dine.
Additional participating businesses on the tour were: Jensen’s Twin Palms & Cottages, ‘Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa, Tropical Winds Motel, Sanibel Rec Center, R.S Walsh Garden Center, The Island Inn, Casa Ybel Resort, Thistle Lodge, Periwinkle Place, The Community House, Suncatcher’s Dream, Bailey’s, Pointe Santo Condo Assoc., Sanibel Moorings Resort & Condo, and Sanibel Inn.
About the Sanibel and 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. With over 500 active Chamber members from both islands including businesses from Lee and Collier counties, 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 Francis P. Bailey, Jr. Chamber Visitor Center is located at the entrance to Sanibel Island and welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year. VISIT FLORIDA named the Visitor Center one of thirteen official Florida Certified Tourism Information Centers. The Visitor Center is open 365 days a year and provides visitors with comprehensive information about things to do, places to visit, where to stay, shop and dine. The Chamber website http://sanibel-captiva.org receives over 1.4 million website visits per year.
