Sarasota Takes Flight in 2019 with New Direct Air Routes and Hotels

With flights to and from 30 cities and new hotel options Sarasota offers greater appeal to leisure and group travelers

SARASOTA, Fla., Aug. 28, 2019 /CNW/ -- With 20 new airline routes launched in 2019 at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) and five new hotels opened since 2017, Sarasota County has become an even more appealing destination for visitors with easier access and more options to meet travelers' needs.

There are now 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada with direct flights to the Florida west coast destination and its unique combination of world-class beaches, big-city amenities and small-town charm.

New routes include Asheville, N.C., Cleveland and Trenton, N.J. They join the other many popular direct routes already offered at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, such as Atlanta, Denver and Nashville. Eight airlines now offer flights options to the growing destination: Air Canada, Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta, Elite Airways, Frontier, JetBlue and United Airlines.

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport offers a stress-free, full-service international airport for Sarasota and its eight barrier islands. Five miles from downtown Sarasota and near the interstate, the airport is convenient and centrally located to provide travelers with easy access to Florida's Gulf Coast.

The new direct routes launched in 2019 are:

• Asheville, NC (Allegiant)
• Baltimore, MD (Allegiant)
• Cincinnati, Ohio (Frontier)
• Cleveland (Allegiant)
• Columbus, OH (Allegiant)
• Des Moines, Iowa (Allegiant)
• Flint, Michigan (Allegiant)
• Fort Wayne, Indiana (Allegiant)
• Grand Rapids, MI (Allegiant)
• Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Allegiant)
• Knoxville, Tennessee (Allegiant)
• Louisville, Kentucky (Allegiant)
• Rockford, Illinois (Allegiant)
• Nashville, Tennessee (Allegiant)
• Richmond, Virginia (Allegiant)
• South Bend, Indiana (Allegiant)
• St. Louis, Missouri (Allegiant)
• Syracuse, New York (Allegiant)
• Traverse City, Michigan (Elite)
• Trenton, NJ (Frontier)

In addition to the new flights, five hotels have recently opened, adding more guest rooms, more meeting space and more options for travelers seeking vacations, group gatherings, meetings or incentive trips. Hotel options range from small to large, national brands and independent properties as well as downtown and beachside properties.

With 37 meeting hotels, 40 special event venues and 110,000 square feet of meeting space, the destination is ideal for groups up to 400 people. The Hyatt Regency offers the most guest rooms, with 294, while the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota offers the largest meeting space at 26,000 square feet. Small groups may opt for the destination's smallest meetings hotel and one of its newest, the Sarasota Modern Hotel with 89 guest rooms and 1,200 square feet of meeting space.

With expanding flights and a growing portfolio of hotels, Sarasota continues to expand its appeal to both leisure and group travelers

About Sarasota County
Visit Sarasota County leads and supports the tourism industry in Sarasota County by providing the highest quality and most innovative marketing programs and promotions to ensure the continued growth of tourism and travel from visitors around the world. It is the mission of VSC is to make Sarasota County the must experience destination on Florida's Gulf Coast. To learn more, visit www.visitsarasota.com.

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SOURCE Visit Sarasota County