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In January — typically a much slower month than December, February and March, Matthes has pointed out — the number of visitors was up 7.3 percent from the same month in 2013. Those 64,400 people spent $79,836,000, an 8.9-percent increase over the January 2013 figure of $71,365,000. The room occupancy rate also was up 4.3 percent, to the 70.5 percent mark, and the average room rate had climbed from $147.61 in January 2013 to $157.17 in January this year, an uptick of 6.5 percent. Tourism's total economic impact on the county for this January was put at $151,512,800, compared to $135,436,500 in January 2013, according to the statistics provided by Research Data Services Inc. of Tampa. For the current fiscal year thus far — Oct. 1, 2013 through Jan. 31 — the total economic impact of tourism has been estimated at $510,089,300, compared to $460,361,400 for the same period in the last fiscal year. In December, Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County, reported to the County Commission that "hotel occupancy was the best we have ever had [for that month] at 61.2%, breaking the record set in 2005 at 59% and the average daily rate in 2013 was $155.83 Only in 2006 was the rate higher at $167." She added, "Our big advertising and pro- motional push in the Chicago and Midwest markets helped to drive a 16.4% increase in visitors from that region coupled with growing, multiple soccer events at IMG and Premiere Soccer." Haley concluded her email by writing, "In our 3 month barometer, looking at expected business, 86.2% of our properties report that business looks as good or better than our record-breaking season last year." The latest Tourist Development Tax (TDT) figures available from the Sarasota County Tax Collector's Office support Haley's view. Through January, that revenue is up $485,951.54 compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year. December's number was slightly higher than January's — $197,445.87 compared to $191,257.68. In terms of location reporting through January, the city of Sarasota edged out Siesta Key, having collected 30.57 percent of the revenue compared to 26.74 percent on Siesta Key. % Someone you know needs Planned Parenthood • Lifesaving cancer screenings • Parent & teen education • Annual GYN exams • Birth control Planned Parenthood Of Southwest And Central Florida • Sarasota 941-953-4060 • MyPlannedParenthood.org Sarasota News Leader March 14, 2014 Page 57