Visit Sarasota County reports slightly fewer visitors in May, compared to figure for May 2024
In May, for the second consecutive month this fiscal year, the Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax — or, “bed tax” — revenue climbed month-over-month, Sarasota County Tax Collector Mike Moran and his staff have reported.
In May, the revenue totaled $3,727,105.46, which is $196,213.55 — or close to 5.6% — higher than the May 2024 collections of $3,530,891.91.
April was the first month of this fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1, 2024, to show an uptick in the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenue, compared to the same month in the prior fiscal year.
Altogether, the revenue turned over to the Tax Collector’s Office so far this fiscal year has added up to $34,604,517.36, the new reports show. Through the same period of the 2024 fiscal year, the total was $36,486,530.59. The deficit from Oct. 1, 2024 through May, compared to the same months’ collections last fiscal year, is $2,015,729.23, or about 5.2%, the Tax Collector’s Office notes.
The revenue for the entire 2024 fiscal year was $48,384,190.68, the reports say.
The 6% tax is charged on accommodations rented for six months or less time. The funds are used for a variety of purposes, as outlined in a county ordinance. For example, money is dedicated to beach maintenance, upkeep of the two Major League Baseball Spring Training stadiums in the county, and the promotion of the county to tourists.
Yet another facet of the new reports is the total amount of revenue from Airbnb collected thus far this fiscal year. That figure is $4,834,755.01, the reports note. That is down approximately 7%, compared to the $5,193,728.76 collected through May 2024.
Altogether, through May, the reports show that online rental platforms accounted for 19.68% of the bed tax revenue. For the same period of the 2024 fiscal year, that figure was 21.28%.
Along with Airbnb, the county has contracts calling for collections from TripAdvisor and HomeAway.com and all of their subsidiaries. However, Airbnb is the only online platform that has agreed to allow the Tax Collector’s Office to report its total each month. Further, none of the hosts is identified for any of those companies.
Among other details of the latest reports from the Tax Collector’s Office are the amounts of Tourist Development Tax revenue collected by location countywide. Traditionally, the City of Sarasota and Siesta Key wage a figurative contest each fiscal year to see which will come out on top for the amount of TDT revenue collections it produces. Last year, Siesta prevailed, though the city was the “victor” the previous two fiscal years.
Through May, the new reports show, the accommodations in the city have brought in 24.99% of the bed tax funds, while Siesta’s share is 22.2%.
Through May 2024, Siesta was ahead, with 26.6% of the revenue, compared to the city, with 25.12%. Siesta experienced significant damage as a result of Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, which resulted in its loss of TDT revenue earlier this fiscal year. In fact, a leader of a Siesta nonprofit organization told the county commissioners last week that, because of the high demand for county rebuilding permits for Key properties, some accommodations still were not ready in May.
A review of the new data also found that the April revenue is higher than it was in the initial reports from the Tax Collector’s Office. The month-over-month increase has climbed to $461,359.12, which is approximately 8.2% higher than the first figure of $426,237.24.
For another example, the month-over-month decrease for March is lower. Last month’s reports put the drop at $587,640.62, compared to the tally for March 2024. The new reports put the month-over-month decrease at $574,004.55.
The Tax Collector’s Office staff has explained that audits and other enforcement actions can result in changes in the figures from month to month — even after a fiscal year has ended. Members of the staff are dedicated to searching for hosts of accommodations who are not turning over the monthly tax receipts to the Tax Collector’s Office, Chief Deputy Tax Collector Sherri Smith has told the county’s Tourist Development Council.
Along with the monthly reports issued by the Tax Collector’s Office, Visit Sarasota County, the county’s tourism marketing office, uses a Tallahassee firm, Downs & St. Germain Research, to provide a different set of data about visitors.
The May report, provided by Visit Sarasota County this week to The Sarasota News Leader, shows that the number of visitors in May added up to 119,900, which was down close to 1% from the figure for May 2024: 121,000.
Their direct expenditures in May also were lower, by approximately 6.6% — $130,603,400, compared to $139,761,100 in May 2024.
Duggan provided the following data, as well:
- The May lodging occupancy rate was up slightly, to 59.1%, compared to 58.9% in May 2024.
- The average room rate this May — $264.98 — also was higher by 10.8%, compared to $239.24 in May 2024.
- The number of room nights sold this May was 248,400, which was down close to 1%, compared to the count for May 2024: 250,714.
Yet one other positive note in the Downs & St. Germain Research report to Visit Sarasota County was that, for the year-to-date, the number of visitors to Sarasota from Central Europe was up, compared to the 2024 figure.
Conversely, when the Downs & St. Germain staff checked with property managers about their forecast for the next three months, the general managers reported decreased demand for accommodations, compared to what they saw last year.