Miami County’s 3 percent lodging tax hit another record in 2017, increasing the money available to the county’s Visitors and Convention Bureau.
The bureau’s annual report for 2017 and an outline of events coming in 2018 were presented Feb. 15 to the county commissioners by Diana Thompson, the bureau’s executive director.
The lodging tax brought in $450,112, an increase from the $438,676 in 2016, the previous record.
The bureau is funded primarily through the tax on hotel rooms.
The bureau’s total revenue for the year was $494,724 with Thompson noting 2018 could be the first year the revenues reach $500,000.
The bureau ended the year with a $20,499 surplus and it has total assets of just more than $330,000, according to its annual financial report.
"We are extremely pleased with how the year went," Thompson said.
The county’s hotel average daily rates remain fairly high and consistent, she said.
The need in the county for another hotel has been talked about with a feasibility study for hotels conducted during the past year.
A major event for the county in 2017 was the arrival from Darke County of the Tour de Donut bicycle event. The September event drew more than 2,000 participants with plans under way for the 2018 event that will be moved to August and combined with the Be the Match run-walk benefit for blood-borne cancers. That statewide event is organized by the Kendall family of Troy and has been held the past couple of years at Troy Treasure Island Park.
Work also is underway on tour-related events including a Donut Jam on Friday from 5-11 p.m. and Saturday from early a.m. until 2 p.m. Last year’s event included entertainment into Saturday evening that was not well attended.
All activities will be in downtown Troy.
Thompson said other activities this year will include the first of sports-related events stemming from the bureau’s new emphasis on sports marketing. Three baseball/softball tournaments are being planned with one Memorial Day Weekend at Kyle Park and two others in May and June at Duke Park in Troy.
The bureau’s Leiann Stewart, group sales manager, talked with the Tipp City Parks Advisory Board last year about that effort and the proposal to bring the Memorial Day tournament to the community.
“This represents thousands and thousands of dollars coming into the area,” Thompson said.
The bureau this year also plans to update its web site and the tourism video on that website.
