Tourism Fund
~ Fund 600
Tourism Fund
Departments
The Tourism Fund is organized into three departments. Each department provides funding and support for the performance of its program of work.
Department 101 - General & Administrative
Department 121 - Advertising & Promotion
Department 122 - Arts & Special Events
The Tourism Fund is supported solely by Hotel Occupancy Taxes and earned interest. Our hotels presently collect and remit 7% of their taxable receipts. The City adopted a 2% increase in the hotel occupancy tax resulting in the current 7% rate effective January 1, 2006 with Ordinance No.O2005-597.
In FY2021 the City adopted a Short-Term Rental Ordinance, O2020-806, providing for the permitting and tracking of Short-Term Rentals. Through this process the City is able to monitor and ensure that Short-Term Rentals also submit the 7% Hotel Occupancy Tax as required.
Capital Investment
In FY2022 the City budgeted to spend HOT funds to complete several capital projects including Wayfinding Signage; Art Monument construction and landscaping; and Galaxy Lights, a joint holiday lighting show with Space Center Houston. The purpose of these investments is to assist our local hotels in attracting more tourists to the City. The City is working to leverage funds to draw greater tourism and convention traffic to the area.