PROVIDENCE – Collection of the 5 percent hotel tax in Rhode Island totaled $21.5 million in fiscal 2018, a 9.9 percent increase year over year from the $19.6 million collected in fiscal 2017, according to the R.I. Department of Revenue Tuesday.
Tourism districts in Rhode Island were allocated $7.81 million of the hotel tax in fiscal 2018, compared with $7.79 million in fiscal 2017. Aquidneck Island was allocated the largest share of regional tourism districts from 5 percent hotel tax in fiscal 2018, with $3.33 million, a 0.9 percent increase from $3.30 million in fiscal 2017.
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The largest nominal increase for a tourism district in fiscal 2018 was in Northern Rhode Island, where the allocation increased $71,975 to $396,290. The Block Island district experienced the largest nominal decline in allocation year-over-year, falling $56,847 to $292,447 in fiscal 2018.
Municipalities were allocated $5.1 million for the fiscal year, an increase from $4.6 million one year prior. Newport was the largest municipality allocation from the 5 percent hotel tax in fiscal 2018 with $1.4 million in collections, an increase from $1.3 million in fiscal 2017. The largest nominal increase in 5 percent collections for the fiscal year took place in Middletown, where the allocation increased $108,118 to $583,027 in fiscal 2018.
Of the $21.5 million total collection for the fiscal year, $645,394 was attributed to hosting platforms and room resellers, while $20.9 million was attributed to hotels.
The R.I. Commerce Corp. was allocated $6.2 million in 5 percent hotel tax in fiscal 2018, a 31.2 percent increase year over year. The Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau was allocated $2.4 million in fiscal 2018, roughly on par with fiscal 2017 collection.
Providence hotels, excluding the Omni Providence Hotel but including online hosting platforms and room resellers, accounted for $4.4 million in 5 percent hotel tax collection in fiscal 2018, a 9 percent increase year over year. The Providence Omni accounted for $1.2 million in 5 percent tax hotel tax collection in fiscal 2018.
Warwick hotels accounted for $2.8 million in collections for fiscal 2018, a 5.1 percent increase from $2.6 million in fiscal 2017.
June collections of the 5 percent hotel tax totaled $2.5 million, a 14.7 percent increase year over year from $2.2 million in June 2017.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor. Email him at Bergenheim@PBN.com.
