LAKEWOOD RANCH – Since its inception, Lakewood Ranch, with its premier golf courses, out-of-this-world mansions, cute shops and perfectly crafted, insulated villages, has been an idyllic place to live for those who can afford it.
But from a tourism standpoint, it hasn’t always been clear where this booming master-planned community fits as a place to bring visitors to the area.
“We’ve been looking regionally at how we can bring tourism awareness to east county, specifically Lakewood Ranch,” Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said. “It’s a 35,000-acre master-planned development, No. 1 in the country – how do we showcase that?”