Orange County tourist-tax revenues were up slightly in August from a year ago, pushing the fiscal year’s total closer to last year’s record haul.

Collections for the month, which tend to be smaller than average because families travel less as the school year starts, brought in $23.1 million, about $1 million more than in 2023. Revenues were down from July’s total by about $3.4 million, a drop that was expected.

With September’s collections not yet counted, the fiscal year total of $333.4 million is on pace to contest the Fiscal Year 2022-23 record of $359.3 million, significantly exceeding forecasts, according to a revenue report released Monday by Comptroller Phil Diamond.

If September’s number tops $25.9 million, 2023-24 will be the best year ever for the Tourist Development Tax, commonly called lTDT.

Monthly TDT collections have averaged $30.3 million through 11 months.

TDT revenues fund Visit Orlando, the region’s marketing agency; expansions and operations at the Orange County Convention Center; and additions and improvements to Camping World Stadium, the Kia Center and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

Revenues also have been spent on small venues like Harriett’s Orlando Ballet Centre, The Plaza Live and the Orlando Science Center; incentive funding to lure the NFL Pro Bowl Games and other marquee sporting events; and assistance for local arts and cultural groups.

Over the past four decades, the tax has generated about $5.2 billion with more than half of that total spent on building, expanding, improving and operating the convention center. Visit Orlando has received the second-largest share, about $1.1 billion.

Diamond’s office tracks monthly collections and spending of the tax, generated by a 6% surcharge on the cost of a hotel room, a home-sharing rental like Airbnb or VRBO and other short-term lodging. TDT is sometimes called a bed or hotel tax.

The county’s TDT reserves stood at $396.7 million as of Aug. 31, up $35.1 million from a year ago.

Comptroller: $300 million in tourist tax reserves should be considered the ‘floor not a ceiling’

Diamond said the reserve will help offset some expenses associated with projects approved by Orange County commissioners, including a Convention Center expansion, Camping World Stadium renovation and the University of Central Florida stadium additions.

Commissioners agreed to provide $90 million in TDT funding for UCF’s project in $10 million installments over the next nine fiscal years. The first installment is scheduled to be paid in December.

Hotel occupancy in metro Orlando was up a smidge in August 2024, 0.5% from the same month in the previous year, settling at 63%.

Hotel room demand also was better, up 1.4% for the month.

The average daily room rate for Orlando hotels was $161.36, also up 1.4% from $159.19 in August 2023.

According to Visit Orlando, the region’s publicly-funded, tourism-marketing agency, attendance at the Orange County Convention Center was up year-over-year. August gatherings included the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials annual conference & expo.

Casandra Matej, Visit Orlando’s president and CEO, said the next six months also appear encouraging.

“As we look ahead at fall and winter, current booking pace data suggests that Orlando hotel demand will be slightly ahead of last year for the final months of the year, with on-the-books room nights currently surpassing the same period last year by 1.4%,” she said in an email. “Leisure travel continues to be the driving force behind this growth.”

She said advance airline ticket sales to Orlando from worldwide regions also are trending up compared to last year.

shudak@orlandosentinel.com