The city’s final collections for Hotel Occupancy Tax during last year’s fiscal year appeared to show a slight decrease of just under 1 percent from the 2023 fiscal year. That dip was brought to light at last week’s Music Commission meeting during a presentation on total revenues for the Live Music Fund, which receives a state-mandated portion of the city’s total hotel tax collections. The fiscal 2024 total was $4.445 million, compared to $4.472 million for the prior year. Some commissioners questioned what could have caused the decrease instead of a double-digit increase, since the local tourism industry has seen as strong rebound since the Covid-19 pandemic. Economic Development Department staff and commissioners who work in tourism-related fields said the numbers up with other data showing hotel revenues as being essentially flat, perhaps as a response to ongoing inflation concerns.
Chad Swiatecki is a 20-year journalist who relocated to Austin from his home state of Michigan in 2008. He most enjoys covering the intersection of arts, business and local/state politics. He has written... More by Chad Swiatecki