Orange County tourist tax collection up in January

Orange County’s tourist-development tax collection was up in January, starting 2017 off on a high note after a sluggish 2016.

Tourist tax collections were up 5.2 percent year-over-year in January, Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond said. The month’s collection totaled about $20.64 million, compared to $19.62 million last year.

Tourist taxes are collected on short-term rentals in the county, mostly hotels and motels.

“It is great to see that collecting increased again in January,” Diamond said in a news release. “Hosting the National Football League Pro Bowl Game in January only helped these results.”

Orlando hosted the Pro Bowl the last weekend of the month, bringing a surge of tourists to the region. The game took place at Camping World Stadium on Jan. 29 after a week of family-oriented activities at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports.

Despite an increase in collections, based on room rates, Metro Orlando hotels saw a slight decrease in occupancy in January, according to STR, which tracks the industry globally.

Metro Orlando hotels, defined as properties in Orlando, Kissimmee and Sanford, had an occupancy rate of 75.1 percent for the month, compared to 75.8 percent in January 2016, according to STR.

Room rates at local hotels, however, were up for the month. Average room rates for January were $124.90 compared to $123.61 the prior year. Room rates were up 10 months in 2016, only being down year-over-year in April and December.

They were also up every month of 2015, according to STR.

Airbnb hosts earned a combined $677,000 in Orlando during Pro Bowl weekend. Metro Orlando Airbnb listings had 3,050 arrivals between the Friday and Sunday of the Pro Bowl weekend, 28 percent higher than the previous weekend and 18 percent higher than its bookings for the following weekend, according to an Airbnb spokesman.

Tourist taxes are collected on Airbnb rentals in Orange County.