Gabrielle Russon
Orange County’s hotel tax revenue skyrocketed to $33.7 million in June — the highest amount ever collected for that month — as crowds flocked to see Epic Universe, officials said.
June marked the first full month that Universal’s new theme park was open to the general public.
The hotel tax generated 10% more revenue this June when compared to June 2024, Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond announced.
The hotel tax, which is also known as the tourist development tax (TDT), is a 6% surcharge on Orange County hotel rooms and short-term stays.
Epic Universe features rides based on Harry Potter, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon and Dark Universe of Universal Monsters.
Epic Universe is also proving to be a moneymaker for parent company Comcast Corp. Revenue in Comcast’s theme park segment increased about 19% during the second-quarter earnings report released last week.
“We’re pleased with the early results, as Epic is already driving higher per cap(ita) spending and attendance across the entirety of Universal Orlando Resort, with strong food and merchandise sales and minimal impact on attendance at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure,” Comcast President Michael Cavanagh said.
With crowds coming to Orlando in June, hotel occupancy and daily room rates also increased during the month, according to Visit Orlando.
Orlando’s hotel occupancy hit nearly 74%, up about 2 percentage points from the same time period last year. The average daily rate was recorded at $196.70, up about 4% from June 2024, Visit Orlando said.
“Overall, June marked a solid start to the summer travel season, bolstered by the first full month of Universal’s Epic Universe being open and major events like the AAU’s Junior Volleyball National Championship running for several weeks in June,” Visit Orlando’s President and CEO, Casandra Matej said.
Visit Orlando is expecting strong tourism numbers for later in the year.
“Hotel bookings for the second half of the year are pacing 1% ahead of 2024, with the fourth quarter (October–December) pacing 5% ahead,” Matej said. “The short-term rental market shows even stronger momentum, with bookings pacing 13% ahead of last year for the same period.”
