Christmas was booming for Orlando’s tourism; TDT hits a record

How busy was Christmas in Orlando?

Orange County’s hotel tax generated nearly $31.8 million in revenue, making it the highest December on record, Comptroller Phil Diamond said Tuesday.

The $31.8 million revenue was about 6% higher than December 2023’s collection, Diamond said in a press release.

The hotel tax, known as the tourism development tax or TDT, is a 6% surcharge on hotel rooms and short-term stays in Orange County.

“Orlando ended 2024 with strong travel performance in December,” said Visit Orlando CEO Casandra Matej in a statement. “Hotel occupancy grew 4% from December 2023, settling at 73.2%— the third highest monthly occupancy for the year after February and March. The Average Daily Rate (ADR) for hotels was $209.93, up 2.2% increase from last year ($205.45). A robust holiday season boosted performance, with room night demand increasing 7.4% during the Christmas-New Years period.”

The holidays are typically a busy time at the theme parks. Universal Orlando’s theme park attendance rebounded in the fourth quarter of last year after a slow summer, Comcast disclosed earlier this week. The Walt Disney Co. is scheduled to release its earnings Wednesday morning.

Other major events took place in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center in December, including the AKC National Championship, the Pop Warner Cheer Championships and a technology conference organized by National Training & Simulation Association.

Meanwhile, Visit Orlando is predicting a busy 2025.

“Hotel bookings for January to April 2025 are pacing 1.3% ahead of last year, with short-term rental bookings also up 5% during the same period,” Matej said.

Returning to the Orange County Convention Center are the Surf Expo and PGA Show as well as first-time events including Vision Expo East 2025 and Annual Gasparilla Classic 2025.

The biggest theme park opening is a brand new theme park, Epic Universe, which officially debuts May 22. The park built in the shadow of the convention center features popular intellectual property including Harry Potter, Universal Monsters and more.

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