Orange County's hotel tax keeps growing - Orlando Sentinel

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Orange County's hotel-tax collections continued to climb in July, though the pace of the gains slowed somewhat.

The tax generated $14.1 million for the month, up 6.7 percent from July 2010.

Revenue from the county's 6 percent nightly tax on hotel stays is widely viewed as a barometer for the health of Orlando's tourism industry. And it has now grown for 18 consecutive months, as tourism businesses continue to dig out from the depths of the global recession.

Still, the July gain was the smallest monthly increase so far in 2011. The tax had grown by double-digit percentages every month since February.

One likely factor behind the narrowing growth: a tough comparison with July 2010, which was the first full month of operation for Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter. That hugely popular area within Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park has carried much of the local tourism economy during the past year, as reflected in improved occupancy and room-rate reports for area hotels.

Orange County Comptroller Martha Haynie nonetheless pronounced herself pleased with the July results.

"We continue to be encouraged by the strong showing of the tourism industry," Haynie said in a prepared statement.

jrgarcia@tribune.com or 407-420-5414