Collier County tourist tax collections for the first three months of the fiscal year totaled $5.6 million, lagging 4.5% behind 2023.
“Total number of visitors increased by 5.1% compared to December of 2023, with 259,900 visitors for the first quarter,” Tourism Director Jay Tusa told the county Tourist Development Council on Feb. 18, adding direct spending by visitors rose 6.3% and the total economic impact of tourism increased 5.8%.
Tourist development taxes come from the county’s 5% bed tax, revenues from hotels, Airbnbs and other rentals of six months or less.
Tusa said occupancy increased 4.4% to 66.9%, while the average daily rate decreased 0.9%, but revenue per available room totaled $234.14, a 3.5% increase from the prior December.
The county’s consultant, Joseph St. Germain, of Downs & St. Germain Research, noted that although the average room rate slipped 2.5%, the increased visitation and demand more than offset the small decrease. He noted hurricanes in September and October affected Collier’s numbers.
And with several new hotels expected to open in the second and third quarters, he said Collier could see a dip in occupancy rates when hundreds of additional rooms come online.
However, Collier is experiencing an increase in international visitors and is spending more to lure them.
For the first quarter of the year, international visitation jumped 14%, with Canadian tourists increasing by 21.9% and visitors from Germany surging 38.7%, Tusa said, noting the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 11 agreed to renew two $10,000 monthly contracts to market Collier’s Paradise Coast to German, U.K. and Irish visitors for another year.
Records show the number of German visitors jumped 45% from fiscal year 2023 to 2024, while tourist taxes paid by 23,193 visitors prompted a 68% increase to $404,718. In comparison, U.K. and Irish numbers grew slightly, with 24,514 tourists paying $427,759.30 in taxes in 2024, a 19.8% increase.
Tusa’s memo to commissioners said the contract renewals were vital for Collier to keep up with other Florida markets, 24 of which have international marketing contracts, including nearby Lee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties.
Domestically, records show travelers from the Midwest and Northeast are still Collier’s largest draw.
“The length of stay for the typical visitor in December was longer than the previous year,” St. Germain said, adding, “Overall direct spending of visitors to the area was over $260 million, resulting in an economic impact of nearly $360 million.”
