Visit St. Pete/Clearwater sets new record with more than $98m. in bed tax collections

Visit St. Pete/Clearwater President/CEO Brian Lowack announced the organization set a record for Pinellas County  with more than $98 million in hotel bed tax collections for fiscal year 2023.

In total, for fiscal year 2023 (Oct. 1, 2022-Sept. 30, 2023), the St. Pete/Clearwater destination:

Generated nearly $1.1 billion in local hotel revenue – representing a $30 million increase from last year and a  $200 million increase over 2019 with overall destination accommodations revenue in fiscal year 2023 surpassing  $1.6 billion (including all additional motel, RV, and online vacation rental sites).
Saw nearly 6 million hotel rooms occupied during fiscal year 2023, representing an increase of more than  100,000 rooms compared to 2022 and nearly 220,000 more rooms compared to 2019.
Generated a total bed tax collection that reflected a nearly $3 million increase from last year’s total.

“St. Pete/Clearwater continues to show why it is internationally renowned and a top destination for travelers seeking our award-winning beaches and exploring the many other unique experiences found within Pinellas County,” said  Lowack. “I’m proud of the work of our entire Visit St. Pete/Clearwater team, the Tourist Development Council, the Board  of County Commissioners, and – most importantly – our community partners to grow our brand and take the destination  to new heights. Hosting visitors is such an important part of our local economy with one in 10 jobs in Pinellas County  being associated with tourism.” 

“We continue to see investment throughout our County with new hotels, dining options, and entertainment,” said Janet  C. Long, Pinellas County Commission Chair and Tourist Development Council Chair. “With Brian’s leadership and an  energized TDC, we will look for opportunities to continue this upward trajectory for the tourism industry in Pinellas  County. The tourist development tax plays a vital part in our County as we identify the most optimum ways to reinvest  these funds into enhancements – like our beautiful beaches and the new Rays Stadium – to fuel additional economic  growth and help keep property taxes lower throughout the County.” 

The hotel bed tax – also known as the tourist development tax – is a 6% tax on all short-term accommodation rentals.  Hotel Bed Tax dollars must be assigned to projects that will support tourism. Visitor-generated taxes are currently  funding emergency shoreline restoration and forthcoming beach renourishment as well as Pinellas County’s  contribution to the new Tampa Bay Rays Stadium.

The article Visit St. Pete/Clearwater sets new record with more than $98m. in bed tax collections first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.