Epic Universe drives Orange County tourist tax to best June ever

[Disney4me]

Universal Orlando is bringing “epic” tourist-tax collections to Central Florida with the second record-setting month in a row after opening its newest theme park.

Orange County collections soared to about $33.7 million in June, according to a monthly report released Tuesday morning. That’s a 10.3% increase over last year — and the highest ever for the month.

“The strong collections in June represent the first full month following the grand opening of Epic Universe on May 22,” said Comptroller Phil Diamond in a release.

Central Florida began seeing effects from Epic Universe during the last 10 days of May. Tourist-tax income for that month rocketed to a record $30 million, a 5.7% increase from last year. It’s the seventh time in the past 12 months the county has set a new record, reflecting a commanding year for Central Florida tourism.

Orange County isn’t the only entity benefitting from the popularity of Universal’s fourth theme park, which has been six years in the making. In the April-May-June period after Epic Universe opened, revenue for the theme park segment of Universal’s parent company, Comcast Corp., increased 18.9%.

Comcast does not break down financial information by park, so it’s unclear how many people have visited Epic Universe or how much money it has generated individually.

The tourist development tax is a 6% rate tacked onto bookings at hotels, apartments or other lodgings rented for six months or less in Orange County. The majority goes to fund attractions like convention centers and sports stadiums, as well as tourist centers. Monthly reports lag about five weeks behind hotel-tax collections.

 

In June, hotel occupancy rose 1.5% from last year, according to Visit Orlando, the region’s marketing agency. Visit Orlando, which is funded by tourist and development taxes, also reported the average daily price for an Orange County hotel room increased by 4.2% to nearly $200.

Short-term rentals like Airbnb, meanwhile, saw average daily rates fall by 3%. However, demand for these units increased by 18%.

Hotel bookings for the remainder of the year also look promising, according to a release attributed to Visit Orlando’s president and CEO, Casandra Matej. The fourth quarter, from October to December, looks especially bright, with bookings pacing 5% ahead of last year.

“Overall, June marked a solid start to the travel season,” Matej said in the release.

It’s not the first time a theme park opening has boosted Central Florida tourist tax revenue. Disney World’s Animal Kingdom bumped collections 8% after opening, while Islands of Adventure at Universal drove a 2% increase.

In addition to Epic Universe, major events like the AAU Junior Volleyball National Championship bolstered revenue. The tournament, running from June 13 to July 7 at the Orange County Convention Center, was expected to bring 325,500 attendees and generate $825.5 million, according to a June press release.

Overall, through the first nine months of the current fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, Orange County’s tourist-tax collections are $16.3 million ahead of last year. Reserves may fund future projects including Camping World Stadium renovations and the UCF football stadium tower project.

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