NAPLES, Fla. — Tourism in downtown Naples is off to a strong start this year, despite lingering recovery efforts from last year's back-to-back hurricane.
Local business leaders tell Fox 4 that the area just experienced one of the busiest New Year’s holidays on record.
“We had a wonderful holiday season, record traffic to the avenue,” said Meg Stepanion, Executive Director of the 5th Avenue South Business Improvement District.
The district reported a 2% year-over-year increase in visitors during the 2025 New Year’s week. Stepanion noted that while turnout is promising, spending trends are more cautious.
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“2024 was a little bit of a soft year,” Stepanion said. “People [were] spending a little bit more conservatively, and I think that was a trend we certainly have seen nationally as well," she added.
Local businesses also say they've noticed a shift in the demographics of visitors.
“We're getting many more European and South American visitors,” said Larry Liss, owner of The Blue Mussel, a downtown fixture for 63 years. “Naples is definitely on the map," he added.
Liss attributed Naples’ steady performance to its comparatively strong recovery. “Places north of us got hit a little harder and are still recovering, which maybe drew people south towards us. And Naples is continually growing,” he explained.
Despite record high visitors, Liss says spending habits at his store haven't really experienced a shift.
“Transactions are up, but average sales are about the same as last year,” he noted.
Meanwhile, several changes on 5th Avenue aim to attract more visitors, including the reopening of Starbucks, renovations to existing businesses, and the planned expansion of downtown staples like L’Olivo Ristorante.
“We’ve just been seeing a lot of happy faces welcoming people back,” Stepanion said. “We’re certainly looking forward to a wonderful spring," she added.
