ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Tourist Development Tax collections surged 9.5% in January from the same period a year ago to a record $33,384,900, Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond announced Tuesday.
What You Need To Know
- Tourist tax collections in Orange County set a record for January
- They jumped 9.5% from a year ago to $33,384,900, the comptroller's office reported
- The TDT is a 6% tax on hotel stays and other short-term rentals in the county
- Several large events helped contribute to the increase, Visit Orlando said
The Tourist Development Tax (TDT), sometimes called the “bed tax” is revenue generated by a 6% tax on hotel stays and other short-term rentals that last less than six months.
January collections also were $1.6 million higher than in December 2024, Diamond reported.
The county attributed the increase to higher demand and year-over-year increases in hotel occupancy and the average daily room rates. Orlando’s hotel occupancy grew 3.3% from January 2024 to 74.4%, which was the highest monthly occupancy for Orlando since March 2024. Average Daily Rate (ADR) for Orlando hotels was $202.91, reflecting a 4.7% increase from the previous year ($193.81).
Several large events — such as the FC Series soccer games at Camping World, the Future of Education Technology Conference and the PGA Show at the Convention Center — winter school breaks and a long holiday weekend contributed to an increase in leisure and group hotel demand, according to Visit Orlando.
Renewal & Replacement Reserves increased by $4.8 million in January, according to Diamond's office.
The Other Authorized Uses Reserves, a component of the R&RR, is at $121.8 million. This reserve will help offset some of the future expenses associated with projects and programs recently approved by the county, such as the Convention Center 5A expansion project (Convention Way Grand Concourse project), Camping World Stadium renovations, Arts and Application Review Committee (ARC) funding, and the UCF football stadium tower project.