January Resort Tax Up From December but Down From Last Year

ORLANDO-Nobody is predicting the hospitality industry is out of the woods, but the $7 million in January hotel room tax collections is up from December but still 22% down from January 2001, Orange County comptroller Martha O. Haynie notes in her monthly report.

Haynie attributes a large part of the lower collections total to discounted room rates following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the shrinking economy nationally.

January occupancy was 54% versus 63.2% in January 2001, according to Smith Travel Research of Hendersonville, TN. Average room rates dropped to $91.83 compared to $101.34 for the comparable month last year.