Orange County comptroller Martha O. Haynie says $10.3 million in revenue collections were posted in July, the last audited month. "This is our first $10-million month for July and is the sixth consecutive month that resort tax collections have exceeded $10 million," Haynie notes. She is confident the county will set "a new record this fiscal year" for resort tax collections.
The county's 5% hotel room tax has generated $94 million from October 2004 through July or an average $9.4 million per month. Assuming at least $9.4 million is collected in August and September, the remaining two fiscal months, the county's final tally would be about $112.8 million, topping last year's revised total of $105.2 million.
By comparison, the county collected $8.9 million in July 2004, 15.3% below this year's number. Year-to-date 2004 showed $92.8 million collected. Haynie's staff had projected only $8.95 million for July of this year. The big question mark this year for tourist officials remains in the final accounting of international visitors.
After a steep decline following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, 2.6 million international visitors arrived at Orlando International Airport in 2004, a 12% increase over the 2003 number, according to Bill Peeper, president, Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. That was the biggest one-year gain since the 3.7-million international visitors total in 2000. Overall, about 48 million visitors arrived in Orlando in 2004, up 6% from 2003.
Visit Florida's promotional efforts accounted for 20% of Florida's economy in 2004, returning $3.4 billion in taxes to state government, according to Visit Florida.
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