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could hit $16 million for the current fiscal year after reaching a new high of $14,876,325.28 in the 2013 fiscal year. Through the end of May, according to information from the Sarasota County Tax Collector's Office, the TDT reve- nue total was $12,652,242.72. Though May's income of $1,121,009.87 reflected the typical decline in tourism spend- ing after the height of season — the April collections added up to $1,724,529.43 — it still was $136,066.71 higher than the amount gen- erated during same month in 2013. Moreover, total TDT revenue thus far this fiscal year is up $1,566,529.71 over the same period in 2012-13. Additionally, statistics compiled for VSC show the total number of visitors staying in a commercial lodging from Oct. 1, 2013 through the end of April was up 5 percent, to 604,400, in comparison with the same period in the 2013 fiscal year. Their spending was 9.9 per- cent higher. Condominium rentals are included in the data, Virginia Haley, president of VSC, has pointed out. In the comparisons for April alone, direct spending was up 13.1 percent year-over-year, while the total economic impact had risen to $158,448,700 in comparison to $140,076,400 for the same month of 2013, the report shows. Revenue per room increased 20.4 percent, according to the year-over-year statistics for April, with the average room rate at $184.82 Visit Sarasota County provided the County Commission statistics about visitors to the area in the 2013 fiscal year. Image courtesy Sarasota County Sarasota News Leader July 18, 2014 Page 55