Tourism in Orlando Boomed Last Month Despite the Government Shutdown
Despite the government shutdown and travel issues that it caused, tourism in Orlando continues to boom.
As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) brought in $33.98 million in October, a strong start to the fiscal year.
Overall, revenues generated by the county’s 6% tax were up $4 million, or 15% year-over-year. The surcharge applies to hotel stays, Airbnb, and other short-term lodging.
Gotta Go Orlando
“These collections are especially impressive because the federal government was shut down during the entire month of October,” Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond said.
EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival Led the Way
Looking at October, Orange County saw a big boon from Halloween festivities and the continuation of the 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival.
While hotel occupancy in October was slightly down from 2024 at 70.9%, the average room rate increased $24 to $204.07. That was an 8.3% year-over-year.
A Look Ahead
Looking ahead, Orlando expects a strong holiday season.
According to Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, hotel bookings for the first quarter of 2026 are ahead of last year.
The holiday season, she said, “is pacing on par with 2024, which was the best holiday season performance since before the pandemic.”
At this rate, Diamond believes the Tourist Development Tax could reach $400 million this fiscal year.
The Comeback Continues
Just a few short years ago, many wondered if Orlando would ever recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Orange County is bringing in record revenue.
Visit Orlando
It is good to see business booming in Central Florida.
As always, be sure to check back with MickeyBlog. We will continue to update you on all the news coming out of The Walt Disney Company.
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