The secret ingredients to the success of the tourism industry of southwest Florida are the people themselves. They are the ones that work the farms in Immokalee, the bell boys and service crew in the hotels and golf courses in downtown Naples, the skilled trader who ply their trade to wherever their service is needed, the local farmers and fishermen who sell their produce to the restaurant owners who are also locals themselves and the volunteers and the expert guides in the natural conservation efforts of the city in zoos and state parks. People in southwest Florida generally have a calm and laid-back attitude due to the easy going environment that they live in that’s so close to nature. However, they are a hardy people in the sense that they are resilient in the face of Mother Nature’s wrath or any other problem that come their way. The people who work day and night to make the city run make the Paradise Coast a true paradise indeed.
Human settlement within the region dates as far back when people were still hunting saber cat tigers as suggested by the archeological findings. Primitive camps and settlements complete with tents and fireplaces and broken animal bones were found that were thousands of years old. Recreations and information of them can be found in Collier museums in Naples, Florida. We also know that the region became part of Calusa territory in the 1500’s and then was occupied by Seminoles, especially in the extreme southern parts along the 1800’s. The Seminole were engaged in a brutal war in the early to mid 1800’s against the US army although they barely survived, survived they did. It was the longest war that was waged against an Indian tribe in the US. Because of the long-standing war, urban progress in the area did not begin until the late 1800’s where pioneers like Barron Gift Collier began investing in the area which led to more and more affluent people from the colder states up north to consider Naples as their vacation destination to escape the cold winter months. There was also a pier in the 1800’s that was vital in the transportation of goods in the region, before there were paved roads or the Tamiami highway. This pier is now a popular beach destination which people flock to every year.
- The weekend farmer’s market is where the locals sell the freshest fruits and vegetables and other canned or preserved good that came straight from their farms.
- Visitors can learn a lot from local tour guides since many of them grew up around the place where they conduct their tours in. Some have had their families live in southwest Florida for generations.
- There are lots of well of retirees as well as some celebrities in the world of sports, music and in Hollywood who have homes in the Paradise Coast.
- Divine Naples provides a platform for small business owners and skilled traders to contact a broader customer base.
