Big boost for SWFL tourism courtesy of New York Times’ ‘places to go’ list

Big boost for SWFL tourism courtesy of New York Times’ ‘places to go’ list

Mark H. Bickel | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News

If it’s possible to receive official validation for a comeback from a series of devastating hurricanes, then you could say The New York Times provided a big stamp of approval this week for Southwest Florida.

The Times published its annual “52 to places to go” for 2026, recommending to its audience locations around the world worth visiting this year.

Places like Sorola’s Spain, Winnie-the-Pooh’s England, Assisi, Italy, Dallas, Texas and yes, two islands off the coast of Southwest Florida that most people reading this are very familiar with.

Sanibel and Captiva.

“This recognition proves what we already knew, that Sanibel and Captiva are special, world class, beach destinations that offer unmatched eco-tourism, shelling, and hospitality,” said John Lai, the President and CEO of the Sanibel and Captiva Chamber of Commerce. “It’s rare to find destinations like ours that intentionally hold 70% in conservation and that in itself sets us apart from similar vacation options.”

Read the full article on naplesnews.com.

Do you want a home to come to in southwest Florida on or near to Sanibel and Captiva? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

Collier commissioners unanimously approve new 3,200-home rural village

Collier commissioners unanimously approve new 3,200-home rural village

Laura Layden | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News

With a unanimous vote, Collier commissioners approved a new rural village.

At a meeting Dec. 9, the board greenlighted the new village, known as Horse Trials.

The development is planned on nearly 1,218 acres on the north side of Oil Well Road, west of State Road 29. It’s the eighth village or town the county has approved in the environmentally sensitive Rural Lands Stewardship Area (RLSA).

The stewardship area, adopted nearly 20 years ago, encompasses 185,000 acres around Immokalee, east of Golden Gate Estates, with the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge to the south and the Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest to the north.

The voluntary RLSA program allows developers to build higher-density towns and villages on property with lower conservation value in exchange for preserving the most environmentally sensitive land through a credit system.

Read the full article about Horse Trials Village, and learn more about the RLSA program on naplesnews.com.