Gobble, gobble, gulp.
November 2023 tourist tax collections registered a 9.67% decrease from November 2022.
The Manatee County Tax Collector’s office Jan. 3 released November 2023 collection numbers for the county tourist tax, also known as the resort or bed tax — it’s the 5% tax collected on overnight accommodations of six months or less.
The second month of the 2023-24 fiscal year — which brings visitors taking a Thanksgiving holiday at the beach — showed $1,624,562 collected. In 2022-23, the same month’s collections totaled $1,798,479 — a record for the month.
Holmes Beach topped collections on Anna Maria Island, generating $418,525, about 25.76% of the total.
Anna Maria accounted for about 9.16% of the November collections, bringing in $148,759, and Bradenton Beach generated $77,499 or 4.77%.
Some other numbers for November:
Unincorporated Manatee County generated $683,769 or 42.09%.
Bradenton generated $157,787 or 9.71%;
Longboat Key generated $132,960 or 81.8%;
Palmetto generated $5,281 or 0.33%.
The collection fee or commission on the tax is 3%, leaving the net November collection for the Manatee County Tourist Development Council at $1,575,844.
For 2022-23, the tax generated more than $30 million.
The tax dollars are not collected by the municipalities and do not go directly to the locales where tourists visited.
The Manatee County Tourist Development Council recommends how to spend the resort tax revenues to the county commission.
Under state law, the tax dollars must be used to boost and develop tourism, including tourism marketing and funding for the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Bradenton Area Convention Center and tourism-related entities such as Realize Bradenton and the Pittsburgh Pirates, as well as supporting projects, such as island beach renourishment and construction of the new Anna Maria City Pier.
Some island and county elected officials have said a goal is to lobby the Florida Legislature to change how the tax dollars can be used.
The December 2023 numbers will be released in early February.
About the TDC
The tourist development council recommends to county commissioners how to spend the tourist development tax — the 5% tax collected on overnight rentals of six months or less.
TDT spending must boost and develop tourism.
TDC members include County Commissioner Ray Turner, R-District 5, as chair, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, Palmetto Mayor Shirley Bryant, hoteliers Jiten Patel, Ed Chiles, Eric Cairns and Rahul Patel and interested citizens Dave Wick and Norma Kennedy.
November tourist tax collections
November 2018: $785,050
November 2019: $857,410
November 2020: $972,617
November 2021: $1,432,990
November 2022: $1,798,479
November 2023: $1,624,562
Source: Manatee County Tax Collector
