PROVIDENCE – Collection of the 5 percent hotel tax in August totaled $3.21 million, a 1 percent increase from $3.18 million the year prior, according to the R.I. Department of Revenue Friday.
The collections were allocated between tourism districts, municipalities, the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau and the R.I. Commerce Corp.
Regional tourism districts were allocated $1.3 million of collections for the month, a 9.6 percent increase year over year from $1.2 million. Aquidneck Island accounted for the most of any district at $612,276, a 9.7 percent increase year over year from $558,045.
The R.I. Commerce Corp. was allocated $824,649 in August, a 12.1 percent decline from $938,135 in August 2017. (The Commerce RI allocation percentages reduced year to year, explaining some of the decline.)
Municipalities were allocated $775,654 in August, a $15,548 increase year over year. Of the total allocation to cities and towns, $762,530 came from hotels and $13,125 came from hosting platforms and room resellers.
Providence had the highest allocation among Rhode Island municipalities in August at $109,015. The largest nominal increase was in Westerly, where allocations increased $5,149 to $98,395.
In August, the PWCVB was allocated $318,201, a 5.8 percent increase year over year from $300,711.
Fiscal year to date in August, collections of the 5 percent hotel tax totaled $6.3 million, a 1.2 percent increase year over year from $6.2 million.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor. Email him at Bergenheim@PBN.com.
