Gabrielle Russon
Halloween is a big moneymaker in Orlando. Spooky season celebrations are plentiful in Central Florida, from the big theme parks down to smaller attractions like gory haunted houses or more kid-friendly trick-or-treating.
But how lucrative was this year’s October?
Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond announced that the tourist development tax generated about $29.5 million in revenue in October.
The bed tax is often a good indicator of how strong the tourism industry is in Central Florida.
“Although this amount is less than the record setting October 2022 collection amount, it is still $68,100 more than last October’s collections,” Diamond said in a news release. “This represents a 0.2% increase from the previous year. This is a good start to the new collection year that began on October 1st.”
The October 2022 record was nearly $2 million higher than October 2024.
But this year’s October included a major destructive storm that closed Orlando International Airport and shut down theme parks. Hurricane Milton hit Florida’s coast on Oct. 9 and then moved across the state on Oct. 10.
Some people canceled their plans to come to Orlando, but that was partially offset by evacuees from Tampa and elsewhere traveling to Orlando to ride out the storm.
“Hotel occupancy rose by 2.3% to 71.9%, and room demand increased by 3.3%. The Average Daily Rate (ADR) saw a slight 0.7% decrease to $188.90,” Visit Orlando’s President and CEO Casandra Matej said in a statement Wednesday. “Hurricane Milton contributed to the higher occupancy and lower ADR, as the region provided evacuees shelter during the storm.”
Meanwhile, now that hurricane season is officially over — finally — Orlando’s tourism industry is expected to finish the year strong.
“Current booking pace data suggests that Orlando hotel demand will surpass last year’s performance in the final months of the year. On-the-books room nights are currently up by 5.4%, with the upcoming Christmas-New Year period specifically pacing 7% ahead of last year’s holiday season,” Matej said. “The start of 2025 is promising, with hotel bookings currently pacing 11% ahead of last year.”
