Hotel-motel bed tax collections off 25 percent

It's all about golf. The big reason why hoteliers collected $361,000 in 2006, and why they'll collect 20 percent less in 2010, is golf packages.

That's an oversimplification, of course. John Scherlacher says hotel-motel tax collections also come from the races and softball and fishing and the triathlon and lots of other attractions.

But Scherlacher and Mike Peek point out that Highlands County is competing with Tampa, Orlando and Sarasota for the Midwestern golf dollars. And, they add, we're not doing as badly as the numbers indicate.

"The raceway is the number one attraction," said Scherlacher, tourism director at Highlands County Visitor and Convention Bureau. But the year-round draw is the 17 golf courses.

He remains in contact with the hotels and motels that offer golf packages. Inn on the Lakes, for instance, offers two nights and three days of 18-hole rounds of golfing, carts, greens fees, free breakfasts and lakeside rooms starting at $134.

And even though hoteliers have offered less expensive and more inclusive packages each year, tax collections - and therefore room nights - have declined annually since 2006. This year, Scherlacher and the Highlands County Office of Management and Budget are estimating a 25 percent difference between 2006 and 2010.

Why? Everyone knows the bottom-line answer.

"Oh, it's definitely the economy," said Mike Peek at Quality Inn Conference Center.

The stock market took a tumble, retirees lost half of the value of their 401(k)s, so the golf courses and the hotels are still seeing the impact.

The next question is, what is Highlands County doing about it?

Scherlacher, hoteliers or their representatives are sent to golf shows and conventions in Orlando and Tampa, Detroit and Chicago, even Cleveland and Toronto, places where Florida golf is promoted. Magazines with Highlands County advertising are distributed at Florida welcome centers.

On a more local basis, Scherlacher said, Highlands County tries to attract softball teams into the sports complex for multi-day events. He's on the triathlon committee, which recruits out-of-county athletes. Highlands County's public lakes are also a big attraction, and they get part of the money for lake cleanups.

And how is Highlands County doing?

"Better," Peek said. "Compared to some markets. We all are having to give more effort."

Hotel Motel Tax Collections

Year: Tax

2004: $306,779

2005: $355,558

2006: $361,476

2007: $343,604

2008: $341,330

2009: $325,426

2010*: $270,274

*Projected

Highlands County collects a 2 percent Tourist Development tax, a portion of which is dedicated to lakes. The FY 2008-09 figure, shown in the table as 2009, has not been audited.

Source: Highlands County Office of Management and Budget