Neither war abroad nor spiking gas prices at home have derailed a record run of tourist-tax collections in the Orlando area.
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The 6% surcharge on the cost of short-term lodging in Orange County brought in $37.7 million in April, nearly $5 million more than in April 2025 and the most ever for the month, said Comptroller Phil Diamond, whose office tracks collection and spending of the TDT dollars.
Collection of the tourist development tax, also known as TDT, has reached record levels in 13 consecutive months.
April’s TDT collection was up nearly 14% from when the record streak began.
Tourism experts have worried the U.S. war with Iran, which led to economic concerns including sharply higher prices at the pump, might diminish the region’s appeal for visitors, both foreign and stateside. But Orlando tourism and its attractions remain a strong draw.
The region welcomed 76.7 million visitors in 2025, Visit Orlando leaders announced in May.
Orlando set a record with 76.7 million visitors in 2025
Diamond said he expects collections will remain high, though the percentage increase might taper off a bit.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised over the last 13 months,” he said. “While I certainly hope it continues, it’s the most unpredictable tax of all. It can change literally overnight as we’ve seen before. We saw 97% of the tax [revenue] evaporate during the pandemic, right?
“That’s why we have strong reserves,” Diamond said. “You never know what tomorrow will bring.”
The comptroller’s report generally follows collections by about a month. May figures likely will be released in early July.
Five years ago, the comptroller persuaded county commissioners to use caution and hold a minimum of $300 million in reserve.
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TDT is generally regarded as a reliable gauge of the tourism industry’s health in Central Florida because short-term lodging costs are mostly paid by out-of-town visitors and rising collections signal high visitor volume, strong hotel demand, and a booming travel economy.
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The average daily room rate for lodging in Orlando area in April jumped about $30 over a year ago to $254.02.
The record run aligns closely — but not precisely — with the May 2025 opening of “Epic Universe,” the 750-acre theme park operated by Universal Destinations & Experiences and featuring thrill rides based on some of Universal Studios’ most popular film franchises.
Universal Destinations & Experiences does not publish its parks’ attendance figures.
TDT collections for fiscal year 2026, which began Oct. 1, stand at $258.2 million through the first seven months — about 9.8% or $23 million ahead of last year’s record pace. Orange County commissioners in January adjusted the tax’s anticipated fiscal year revenue upward from $360 million to $385 million, a conservative estimate considering the tax generated a record $384.5 million in fiscal year 2025.
The April performance continued this year’s positive momentum with both spring break travel from the northeast U.S. and strong convention business contributing to a solid month, said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, the TDT-funded agency that promotes the region.
She said hotel occupancy in Orange County reached 79%, up nearly 6% from a year ago.
The Orange County Convention Center, built, expanded, largely operated and maintained with TDT revenues, reported a 7% bump in attendance from last year with youth sporting events, such as the Allstar World Championships, a cheerleading competition, and the ASICS Florida Volleyball Challenge. The venue also hosted the ISA International Sign Expo, the leading trade show for the sign, graphics, print and visual communications industry, and Aviation Week MRO Americas, an annual conference and showcase which brings thousands of aviation professionals to network, demonstrate new technologies and discuss industry trends.
Matej said the outlook for summer remains positive with hotel room demand pacing ahead of last year.
Bookings are up slightly but the average daily room rate is up more than 10%.
Matej said anticipation is growing around this summer’s FIFA World Cup — with the closest game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens about 230 miles away from Orlando — but it is too early to gauge the impact on travel here for international fans of the sport.
“Visit Orlando is actively leveraging the tournament by positioning our destination as the perfect companion city for World Cup travelers,” she said, noting the agency has created a special web page, visitorlando.com/soccer. “Our message centers around Orlando’s ease of access to major host cities via air and train, a travel experience that makes it easy to build Orlando into a broader U.S. vacation and a vibrant hub to enjoy matches you can’t see in person.”
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