PROVIDENCE – Collection of the 5 percent hotel tax in November totaled $1.27 million, a 10.4 percent increase from November 2016’s $1.15 million collection, according to the R.I. Department of Revenue Thursday.
Traditional hotels accounted for nearly all of the state’s collection of the tax at $1.24 million of the $1.27 million compared with $1.14 million of the $1.15 million one year prior. Hosting platforms and room resellers accounted for $29,513 in November compared with $4,602 in November 2016.
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Regional tourism districts in the state received a combined $439,434 in November, a 2.5 percent decline from November 2016. Room resellers and hosting platforms accounted for $5,809 of the regional tourism district’s collection allocation compared with $1,460 one year prior. Aquidneck Island was the regional tourism district with the largest share of the hotel tax revenue at $156,412 despite a decline from $186,042 in November 2016.
Providence was the largest recipient of the 5 percent hotel tax in November at $80,971, up from $69,267 in November 2016. The allocation to municipalities in November totaled $291,905, an increase of $24,710 year over year, of which $7,411 was from room resellers and hosting platforms.
Providence’s $11,704 nominal year-over-year increase was the largest of any municipality in the state.
R.I. Commerce Corp. received an allocation of $371,947 from the 5 percent hotel tax revenues in November while the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau received $167,527.
Fiscal year to date in November, collection of the 5 percent hotel tax totaled $12 million compared with $11.1 million one year prior. Traditional hotels accounted for $11.7 million fiscal year to date compared with $11 million one year prior. Room resellers and hosting platforms accounted for $324,142 fiscal year to date compared with $127,476 one year prior.
Aquidneck Island received the largest share of all regional tourism districts fiscal year to date at $2 million, down from $2.1 million one year prior.
Newport collected the most 5 percent hotel tax fiscal year to date at $833,873, up from $788,795 one year prior.
Commerce RI received $3.5 million fiscal year to date and the PWCVB received $1.26 million from state 5 percent hotel tax revenues.
The collection of hotel tax revenue from room resellers, also known as online travel companies, and hosting platforms began on July 1, 2015.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.
