Van Buren tourism tax sees January decline

January hospitality tax collections in Van Buren totaled $30,291, down 4.7% compared to January 2008.

Hospitality tax collections for the city in 2008 totaled $410,914, up 7.4% over 2007 and up more than 14.5% over 2006. The increases clearly reflect a growing tourism and business traveler industry in the city. (Van Buren collects a 1% tax on lodging and restaurants.)

The 2008 increase will be hard to maintain in 2009, according to Maryl Koeth, director of the Van Buren Advertising and Promotion Commission.

“I don’t anticipate our revenue to enjoy the same rate of increase for this year. I think we will stay flat or even decrease slightly due to the national economy,” Koeth explained.

Koeth said her optimistic side believes people will continue to vacation and will stay closer to home, meaning more business for Van Buren hotels and restaurants.

However …

“The reasonable person in me knows that tourism will be tough in the next year. We are working to attract visitors from closer to home, Tulsa and Oklahoma City and maybe Dallas and Kansas City. That is where we are concentrating our ads,” Koeth said.

The commission is attempting to capture more visitors by adding entertainment options, including a “Second Saturday Music in the Park” on Main Street. The series will run April through September, with the Don Bailey Jazz Combo opening the series April 11 at the Blanche Moore Park in downtown Van Buren, Koeth said.