There’s year another sign of how hard the tourism industry on the Central and South Coasts has been hit by the coronavirus crisis. Just released transient occupancy tax numbers for the City of Santa Barbara show that for July the amount collected was half of what it was a year ago.
The tax is charged for motel and hotel room rentals in the city. The amount collected went from nearly $2.4 million dollars a year ago to $1.2 million this July.
The numbers have actually been bouncing back a little. In April, the amount collected was down by 93%, while in July it was down 49.6%.
The tax usually brings in 18 to 19 million dollars a year that the city uses for services, and programs. Many jurisdictions in the region have also been reporting steep drops in their transient occupancy tax numbers due to reduced tourism.
