Southwest Florida Prepares for Spring Training Season as Businesses Anticipate Tourist Surge

Shops and restaurants across Southwest Florida brace for visitors during spring training season. Baseball fans and sun-seekers will descend on the region starting next month. The Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins will return to Lee County. The Tampa Bay Rays head to Port Charlotte, and the Atlanta Braves to North Port.

Lee County pulls in $56.7 million from activities outside the ballpark during spring training, according to county data. Fans travel to the area specifically for baseball. Others mix games with shopping, dining, and attractions.

Tricia Davis, owner of First Scoops, said her business slows during early January before picking up. "We kind of die down the first, you know, two and a half, three weeks of January, and then February, things really start to come alive," Davis said, according to Gulf Coast News.

Amy Bennett, who owns Enjewel in downtown Fort Myers, depends on spring training crowds to keep her shop running throughout the year. "That's our peak time as it keeps us busy and keeps us going the rest of the year," Bennett said. "It's just fun. You meet all different people and you get to help them find stuff and just tell them about the area and all the stuff they can do. And so hopefully gets them to come back."

Teresa Kulick travels from Iowa each year to spend time in the area, escaping brutal Midwest winters for weeks at a stretch. "I come down once a year from Iowa to get away from the winters. I usually arrive after Christmas, right around New Year's, and then I stay till the end of February," Kulick said.

Kulick said she looks forward to visiting downtown Fort Myers each year for shopping and seafood. 

Shop owners are using the next few weeks to prepare before baseball fans arrive, stocking inventory and training seasonal staff. Spring training games will start Feb. 20, with the Red Sox hosting Northeastern University at JetBlue Park and the Twins facing the University of Minnesota at Hammond Stadium.