Pinellas County collected more than $14.6 million in tourism taxes in March, the highest amount ever for a single month, tourism officials announced Wednesday.
Revenue collected from taxes on hotel stays and short-term rentals exceeded the county’s all-time high by more than $1 million since March 2023, according to the county’s tourism agency Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.
This record month is a boon at a critical time. The county, which has amassed more than $200 million in tourist tax reserves in recent years, could soon start spending that money on big-ticket projects like coastal restoration efforts and a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays. Downtown St. Petersburg.
The 2023 fiscal year, which ended in September, was the best in county history for the tourism tax fund, but the first month of the new fiscal year was slow, with October, December and January all seeing lower revenues than the previous year. With a major project on the horizon, some industry experts at the county Tourism Development Council said earlier this month that they fear visitor numbers are declining. Russ Kimball, CEO of Sheraton Sand Key Resort, said occupancy rates in March and April have never been this low.
Eddie Kirsch, the tourism board’s director of digital data, said at Wednesday’s Tourism Development Council meeting that hotel and vacation rental occupancy rates across the county were down slightly compared to last year. But hotel capacity, as well as room rates, increased, leading to increased spending, which exceeded the county’s total collections at this time last year.
“I think this is very important,” said Birchwood Hotel owner Chuck, who is also a member of the council, a group of elected officials and industry leaders that makes recommendations to county commissioners. Prather said. “In my opinion, this represents a reversal of this almost year-long trend.”
Tourism CEO Brian Rowack said in an interview Wednesday that it’s too early to predict whether the county will meet its goal of more than $101 million in tourism tax revenue this year, but local He said he is confident tourism is back on track. After the hardships of autumn and winter. Plans to increase visitors during the summer and fall months, when tax revenues typically drop and stagnate, include sending day-trippers from growing counties like Polk and Pasco to stay in Pinellas and marketing in Latin America. This includes strengthening. New nonstop flights between Mexico City and Tampa International Airport.
“The global travel industry is more competitive than ever,” Lowak said. “To remain competitive and make an impact on the destination, we need to invest (Tourism Development Tax) in projects that will attract more tourists.”
