Escambia Tourist Tax Collections Rise 6.5% to Record $23.5 Million

PENSACOLA, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Escambia County's tourism industry finished the latest fiscal year with another increase in tourist-development tax collections, bringing in considerably more revenue than the county had budgeted.

Escambia County Senior Budget Analyst Jeremy Pagalagan told the Tourist Development Council Tuesday that Tourist Development Tax collections through September totaled $23,544,979.

That's up from $22,114,042 during the same period a year earlier.

The difference amounts to an increase of approximately $1.43 million, or 6.47%.

Escambia County had budgeted for $21 million in tourist-tax revenue during the fiscal year. Actual collections reached approximately 112% of that projection.

Total tourism-fund revenue, which also includes interest, unrealized interest adjustments and miscellaneous revenue, reached approximately $24.5 million. That's about $1.07 million higher than the previous fiscal year.

Interest revenue declined, however, falling from approximately $1.33 million to $955,000.

The county reported approximately $29.7 million in expenditures through September, with another $7.9 million encumbered.

The Tourist Development Tax fund ended September with a cash balance of approximately $27.3 million.

The numbers provide a snapshot of Escambia County's tourism economy immediately before Hurricane Isaias.

Local tourism officials are now turning their attention to post-storm recovery and marketing as hotels, attractions and other tourism businesses return to normal operations.