Orange County tourism showing signs of rebound

ORLANDO, Fla. - Orange County reports that this past November was one of the best months for tourist tax revenue; however, the region is still recovering from lows since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 40% of area residents rely on tourism dollars for their income, officials say.

Money from the tourist tax dollars goes to things like operating the Convention Center, the Ballet Center, the new Pulse Museum, and for advertising to get people to visit the region.

The past two years have been a bumpy ride for collections and reserves have dwindled down to their lowest balance in years. But November 2021 saw significant improvements since the pandemic began bringing in $25 million.

"That's the second-best November we've ever had in Orange County, and that's the good news," said Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond.

In the two years since the pandemic began, the county has spent more than $133 million in the reserves to pay the bills and keep projects going. The reserves are now down to $48 million, which sounds like a lot, but Diamond says the monthly break-even for the county is almost $20 million.

"People rely on those funds, and that's why we think it's important to make sure that we always have enough money in the bank, so that if something happens -- like 9-11, or like the Great Recession, or like COVID -- we're able to pay the bills," he adds.

While he says the numbers from November give them a good reason to celebrate, we're not out of the woods yet as the omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to surge.  Diamond says there is a direct correlation between surging cases and the lack of tourism.

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