Visitors snug in Manatee County beds netted $1.87 million in tourist development tax revenues in December 2024.
The Manatee County Tax Collector’s office Feb. 3 released December 2024 collection numbers for the tourist development or bed tax — the tax collected on overnight rentals of six months or less.
The third month of the 2024-25 fiscal year generated $1,930,860 in bed tax revenues in the county, a 16.6% drop from the $2,309,508 collected in December 2023. And the 2023 number was down 10.26% from December 2022.
The tax is collected by resort owners, landlords and property managers of accommodations leased for six months or less.
The decline in revenues was a continuation of what was seen immediately following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. October 2024 tax revenues declined 8.98% from 2023 and November revenues declined 17.71%.
Holmes Beach topped collections on Anna Maria Island in December, generating $341,604, about 17.79% of the countywide total. The December 2023 revenue was $497,782.
Anna Maria accounted for about 8.11% of the collections, bringing in $156,591. In December 2023, the revenue was $257,715.
Bradenton Beach generated $37,269 or 1.93% in December 2024. In 2023, the revenue was $112,482.
Some other numbers for December:
- Unincorporated Manatee County generated $990,244 or 51.29%;
- Bradenton generated $254,483 or 8.11%;
- Longboat Key generated $119,791 or 6.2%;
- Palmetto generated $30,879 or 1.6%.
The collection fee or commission on the tax is 3%, so the net collection for December 2024 was $4,473,536.
Collections for the first quarter of the fiscal year totaled $4,611,894.
Under state law, resort tax revenues must be used to boost and develop tourism. In Manatee, the money funds the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Bradenton Area Convention Center and tourism-related entities such as Realize Bradenton and the Pittsburgh Pirates, as well as supports projects, such as beach renourishment and construction on the Anna Maria City Pier after it was damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017.
The county tourist development council recommends how to spend the money to the county commission.
The January numbers will be released in early March.
The next TDC meeting will be at 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24, at Bradenton City Hall, 101 12th St. W.
December tourist tax collections
December 2020: $1,414,742
December 2021: $1,996,281
December 2022: $2,573,631
December 2023: $2,309,508
December 2024: $1,930,860
Source: Manatee County Tax Collector