Overcoming hurricane threats, inflation worries and forecasts of a softer domestic travel market, Orange County’s tourist-tax collections finished the fiscal year higher than ever, according to figures released Tuesday morning by Comptroller Phil Diamond.

Receipts in September totaled $25.7 million, about $1.1 million better than September 2023 — and the most ever for the month, capping a fiscal-year record for Tourist Development Tax, or TDT, the 6% surcharge added to the cost of a hotel room or other short-term lodging.

Diamond said 2023-24 ended at $359,464,600, about $140,000 better than last fiscal year.

“Since last year’s collections were the highest on record to date, this year’s are now the highest,” he said.

A year ago, Diamond urged Orange County commissioners to “stick to the fiscal playbook” when they considered how to spend uncommitted, future tourist-tax revenues. His advice was based on his forecast that TDT revenues might dip slightly over the coming year.

He has not yet offered a forecast for 2024-25.

A boost in the average room rate offset a decline in hotel occupancy, said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, the TDT-funded marketing agency for the region’s tourism industry.

Matej said Orlando’s hotel occupancy in September was down 3.1% from 2023 but the room rate was up about $3.88 from from $171.92 from a year ago to $175.80. She said the county benefitted from several significant events at the Orange County Convention Center during the month.

Four groups brought more than 12,000 attendees to their gatherings, including ASIS Global Security Exchange, an association of security management professionals; the National Safety Council Congress & Expo, the American Academy of Pediatrics, which hosted a 5K fun run through SeaWorld Orlando; and Surf Expo, a watersports and beach lifestyle tradeshow that featured 650 exhibitors and 6,000 retail buyers from 60 countries.

Matej said 11 other large events were based at the convention center during the month, up from six in September 2023.

The fiscal year also saw tourist-tax receipts break the $40 million mark in March, an all-time, one-month record.

Orange County tourist-tax collections hit record $40 million in March

More than half of the $5.2 billion generated by TDT since it was first levied 45 years ago has been spent to build, expand, operate and maintain the convention center. The revenues also are used to promote tourism through Visit Orlando and help build and expand stadiums, arenas and arts venues.

Tourism experts have hopes for more record numbers in the coming year with the expected May opening of Universal’s “Epic Universe,” the first new theme park to open in Orlando in 25 years. Disney opened Animal Kingdom in 1998 and Universal opened Islands of Adventure in 1999.

The new fiscal year, which started Oct. 1, got off to a slow start in October when Hurricane Milton prompted the Walt Disney Co. and Universal Orlando to close their theme parks for a day and a half because of the threat of high winds and torrential rains.

But Matej said Orlando hotel demand through December is on pace to exceed the same span from a year ago. In particular, she said, bookings over the Thanksgiving period are pacing up 7% over last year.

Advance airline ticket sales to Orlando from both domestic and international origins also are up 3.4% from a year ago.

shudak@orlandosentinel.com