Local Resources
Depaending on what area you plan to travel to in Sarasota, you should check to see if there is a local visitors center nearby.
The largest organization serving Sarasota is the Sarasota Visitors and Convention Bureau. It's located on US 41 just north of the downtown area and has a helpful staff and small museum on-site. They publish a rather nice guide to the area, but the scope is limited to the Sarasota County area, and does not feature anything in neighboring Manatee County.
The beach islands of Longboat Key, Homes Beach, and Anna Maria each have their own visitors center, and the staff is quite helpful - particularly the Longboat Key (located at the north end of Longboat Key) and the Holmes Beach visitors center.
Keep in mind, while these establishments are quite helpful, they are there to serve their membership base and are sometimes reluctant to make recommendations one over the other - you may have to press to get an answer to "which one is better?".
The main chamber of commerce for Manatee County is located in downtown Bradenton, however, the focus appears to be on commerce and not vacation and travel.
http://www.1010sarasota.com/vacations/essentials/localresources/default.aspx
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