Hotel Occupancy Tax Revenue Keeps on Rising

The hotel occupancy taxes charged by the City of Santa Barbara went up in October, 6.4 percent more than the same month a year ago. This marks the 10th straight month that the hotel occupancy tax posted a gain, indicating that the South Coast’s tourist economy is creeping steadily out of the recessionary gloom. October’s posting comes during a month with one less weekend to it and at a time of year when the summer blush is off the tourist bloom. City Hall finance officers assumed a 4.5-percent increase in such tourist revenues this fiscal year. If current trends continue, revenues would increase at a rate of 8.7 percent, nearly twice what was projected.