Video: Tourism tax dollars on the rise, but new variant, travel rules could impact progress Central Florida tourism leaders are waiting to see how the new COVID-19 omicron variant and President Joe Biden’s new travel rules will impact the local economy (Angela Jacobs, WFTV.com)
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Central Florida tourism leaders are waiting to see how the new COVID-19 omicron variant and President Joe Biden’s new travel rules will impact the local economy.
Orange County leaders say tourist development tax collections have steadily increased, but the new variant could impact that progress.
“It’s like two steps forward, one step back,” Comptroller Phil Diamond said.
October’s numbers for tourism tax dollars are still way behind pre-pandemic levels, even after hitting an encouraging $21 million. You have to go back to 2017 to find an October with tourist development taxes (TDT) as low as 2021.
TDT comes from anywhere people sleep — from hotels and campgrounds to AirBnBs.
Diamond said it’s now another wait-and-see situation on how the latest travel restrictions will impact the numbers again.
1 of 19
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Central Florida International Auto Show The car show features hundreds of new models, electric vehicles, exotic vehicles, an off-road indoor test track, test drives and more. (WFTV Staff)
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.
