Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The tourism industry, as measured by tourist tax collections, continues its boom in Orange County.

On the heels of a record-setting 2024-25, the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) raked in $33.9 million in October, the start of the new fiscal year, according to numbers released Thursday by Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond, whose office tracks the receipts.

Diamond said the surge out of the gate was surprising.

“These collections are especially impressive because the federal government was shut down during the entire month of October,” Diamond said, noting the shutdown limited air travel, affected federal workers’ earnings and likely caused some to put off vacations.

Revenues generated by the county’s 6% surcharge added to the cost of a hot

See Full Page