Area tourism taxes up through July

Although July hospitality tax collections were down in Van Buren, the regional tourism industry continues to push collections above 2010 levels.

For the first seven months of 2011, hospitality tax collections in Van Buren totaled $228,564, up 2.43% compared to the $223,125 in the 2010 period. July tax collections totaled $35,182, just below the $35,301 collected during July 2010. Van Buren collects a 1% tax on lodging and a 1% tax on restaurants.

“Looks like the extreme heat began to have a slight impact on travel and dining out. I anticipate that we will see the same for August collections,” said Maryl Koeth, executive director of the Van Buren Advertising & Promotion Commission.

For all of 2010, Van Buren hospitality tax collections totaled $395,195, down just 0.62% compared to 2009. For all of 2009, hospitality tax collections were down 7.1% compared to 2008. Hospitality tax collections for Van Buren in 2008 totaled $410,914, up 7.4% over 2007 and up more than 14.5% over 2006.

Fort Smith hospitality tax collections during the first seven months of 2011 total $422,378, up 3% over the $409,985 in the 2010 period. Claude Legris, executive director of the Fort Smith Visitors & Convention Bureau, has said the CVB budget for 2012 anticipates a 3% increase in revenue.

During July, collections totaled $65,701, above the $62,466 collected in July 2010. Fort Smith hospitality taxes are collected from a 3% tax on hotel room rates.

Hotel tax collections in Fort Smith during all of 2010 totaled $678,934, up 1.04% compared to 2009. During 2009, Fort Smith hospitality tax collections totaled $671,912, down more than 16% from 2008. Fort Smith hospitality tax collections in 2008 totaled $803,591, 11% more than the $723,548 collected in 2007, and more than 19% above 2006 collections.

In the Fort Smith metro area, there were an estimated 9,500 employed in the leisure and hospitality sector during July, unchanged from June and above the 8,900 the sector employed in June 2010. However, sector employment  fell to 9,400 in the August estimate published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sector employment reached a high of 9,800 in August 2008.

STATE TOURISM
Arkansas’ 2% tourism collection garnered $5.816 million during the first half of 2011, up 2.94% compared to $5.65 million during the 2010 period. For all of 2010, the tax generated $11.492 million, up 0.99% compared to 2009. The collections were off the 2008 high of $12.005 million.

The state’s tourism sector — Leisure & Hospitality jobs — employed an estimated 105,300 during August, down compared to the 106,100 in July and 5.93% more than in August 2010.