TORONTO — Fort Myers brought some southwest Florida sunshine to Toronto during Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), returning as the Official Travel Sponsor of Toronto Life Magazine’s Hollywood North Party for the third consecutive year while sharing a slate of destination developments with Canadian media and industry partners.

Ahead of the Hollywood North Party on Sept. 11, Fort Myers hosted a VIP cocktail reception at the Library at Le Germain Hotel Toronto. Guests then made their way to The Sutton Place Hotel Toronto for the red carpet and Hollywood North Party, part of the festivities surrounding the Toronto International Film Festival.

ARTS AND CULTURE TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT

The TIFF tie-in is a natural fit for a destination that, while best known for its beaches and islands, is increasingly highlighting its arts and cultural offerings.

“This is our third year doing this,” said Jeanette Faria of VoX International, which represents Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods in Canada. “Although the destination is known for beaches, we also have fantastic arts and culture.”

Fort Myers certainly has plenty to say about those beaches. The destination encompasses some 100 barrier and coastal islands and offers approximately 190 miles of coastline with swimming, kayaking, and boating and more. It is renowned for shelling and boasts an impressive population of bottlenose dolphins.

But Faria said there is much more for travellers – and travel advisors – to discover beyond the coastline, including theatres, museums, live music and a growing film scene.

The Fort Myers Film Festival will mark its 17th edition in 2027, and Canadian films and filmmakers regularly appear on its program. The festival also provides a platform for films early in their festival journey, adding another dimension to Fort Myers’ cultural offering.

“What makes it special is that it’s kind of the start of the festival season,” said Faria. “A lot of the films, it’s the first time that they’re actually being shown.”

Fort Myers’ historic district

MUSIC TAKES CENTRE STAGE

The destination’s connection with the arts extends to music. The 12th annual Island Hopper Songwriter Fest gets underway this month, bringing more than 60 award-winning singers and songwriters to venues across the Fort Myers area for 10 days of performances.

The festival offers visitors the opportunity to hear songs performed by the people who wrote them — including hits made famous by other recording artists — and to hear the stories behind the music. Many of the performances are free and take place throughout the destination.

The festival culminates with a headline performance on Fort Myers Beach, with country artist Michael Ray taking the spotlight this year.

NEW HOTELS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

There’s plenty happening on the development front, too.

Ground was recently broken on the new Fort Myers Beach Pier, which is set to stretch approximately 1,000 feet and measure 12 feet wide. The new pier will be approximately 70% longer and 50% wider than its predecessor and is expected to be completed by summer 2027.

Fort Myers is also welcoming additional accommodation inventory. Shalimar Beach Resort and Beach Bay Villas are among the properties recently opened on Sanibel Island, with another six properties expected to debut between late 2026 and early 2027.

NEW TOOLS FOR TRAVEL ADVISORS

For travel advisors looking to give clients a current view of the destination, Fort Myers has also expanded its online trip-planning resources. New webcams offer live looks at approximately a dozen locations, while a new digital visitors guide provides itineraries, destination information and other planning tools.

Aerial shot of Fort Myers beach

STRONG AIR ACCESS FROM CANADA

Getting there from Canada remains relatively easy, particularly for travellers departing from Toronto.

WestJet, Porter Airlines and Air Canada offer nonstop service between Toronto and Southwest Florida International Airport, with a flight time of under three hours. Seasonal nonstop service is also available from Ottawa and Montreal.

“In the winter, most of them fly either daily or every other day, and sometimes twice a day,” said Faria. “So we have a lot of air service into the destination, which is fantastic.”

Canada remains Fort Myers’ number one international market, making Canadian travellers – and the travel advisors who send them south – especially important to the destination.

MORE THAN A BEACH GETAWAY

Its presence during TIFF provided Fort Myers with an opportunity to reinforce a message that goes beyond the traditional Florida getaway.

Between its beaches and islands, growing hotel inventory, rebuilt infrastructure and expanding lineup of film, music and cultural experiences, Fort Myers is positioning itself as a destination where a beach vacation can easily come with an arts and entertainment component as well.

For Faria and the Fort Myers team, that made Toronto’s biggest celebration of film a fitting place to tell the story.

For more information about Forty Myers, go to www.visitfortmyers.com.

Lead image caption:  Jeanette Faria and Andrew Ricketts of Vox International, representative of Fort Myers in Canada