PROVIDENCE – Collection of the 5 percent hotel tax in Rhode Island in December totaled $975,898, an 18.2 percent increase year over year, according to the R.I. Department of Revenue Tuesday.
Allocation of the tax for regional tourism districts in December totaled $364,539, a 29.2 percent year-over-year increase. The largest tourism district allocation was to Aquidneck Island, which received $132,916. All of the seven tourism districts saw an increase in the percentage of allocations from December 2017 and December 2018.
Municipalities were allocated $232,403 in December, a 20.4 percent increase over the year. Providence accounted for the largest collection of any municipality in December, totaling $52,270 of the 5 percent hotel tax, a 5.7 percent increase over the year. The second highest collection was in Newport, where the DOR reported that $49,042 was collected in December, a 6.3 percent gain year over year.
The R.I. Commerce Corp. was given $257,388 of the 5 percent hotel tax for the month, an increase of 4 percent.
The Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau was allocated $121,568 in December, an 18.1 percent increase year over year.
Traditional hotels accounted for $955,047 in collections in December, an increase from $804,713 one year prior. Hosting platforms and room re-sellers accounted for $20,850 for the month, $1 more than in the previous year. The figure includes refunds and adjustments to previous periods, the DOR said.
Fiscal year to date in December, collection of the 5 percent hotel tax totaled $12.9 million, increasing $23,924, or 0.2 percent year over year. Of the total collected fiscal year to date in December, $12.5 million was attributable to hotels, while $366,550 was attributable to hosting platforms and room re-sellers. Fiscal year to date in December one year prior, hotels accounted for $12.5 million and $344,991 from hosting platforms and room re-sellers.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor. Email him at Bergenheim@PBN.com
