Orange resort tax collections sink 16% - Orlando Business Journal:

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The tax, collected primarily from hotelsand motels, is used to pay for tourism promotion campaigns, operations at the and construction of three downtown Orlando sports and entertainment Collection fell to $13.3 million in Aprilk from $15.9 million a year ago. The drop reflects the downturn in travel that is a byproducty onthe recession. Revenue per availablew room in April droppedto $69.612 from $84.17 last year, a 17.3 percenft decline, according to Smith Travel Research. The Smitg Travel numbers, however, do not includer hotels operated by andHarris Rosen’s sevej hotels.
Orange Comptroller Martha Haynie said her officd generally combines March and Apri l results together to compensat e for the shift in when the Easteholiday falls. Using the two months, collections fell 22 percent yearover “While this is hardly cause for celebration, it is a bit bettert than the 30 percent declines we saw earlied this year,” Haynie said in a statement accompanying the Rich Maladecki, president of the , said the losses in hotel revenue that resulted in the decline in tax revenuw are having a broad impact on the economy. He said hotelsz and companies that service hotels and tourists are cutting employeesw asrevenues decline.
“This is both a loss of revenue and jobs for our Maladecki said. “There is a domino effect. One in everyh five jobs in our regioj is related directly or indirectly to thehospitality