Why eastern Idaho’s lodging tax revenue increased this year and how it will be used – East Idaho News

REXBURG – Japanese Idaho attracts vacationers from throughout the globe yearly and in 2022, companies are benefitting in a giant means.

The Idaho Journey Council awards an annual grant to areas throughout the state, which is funded by way of a 2% tax on gross sales at motels, motels, trip leases and personal campground lodging. Over the last fiscal yr, the jap Idaho area — which incorporates Bonneville, Fremont, Teton, Madison, Jefferson and Clark counties — earned $3,738,747.

The grant awards 45% of that tax income again to every area on the finish of every fiscal yr.

Yellowstone Teton Territory is jap Idaho’s regional tourism board that applies for and manages this grant. Throughout its month-to-month assembly in Rexburg Tuesday, board president Mike Wilson revealed the grant quantity for jap Idaho over the past fiscal yr was $1,785,325.99.

The tax income and grant quantity signify a large enhance from earlier years. Wilson identified that the grant quantity in 2018 was $425,000. It elevated to greater than $700,000 in 2021. He attributes the rise this yr to an uptick within the variety of lodging choices for vacationers.

“Our stock of obtainable rental properties has probably not elevated that a lot, however Airbnbs got here on-line in that point,” Wilson tells EastIdahoNews.com. “In Fremont County, (not less than) 60% of the cabins that have been simply short-term, summer season stays have now transformed to full-time short-term Airbnb sort leases.”

Throughout Tuesday’s assembly, board member Kristi Baughman offered a breakdown of lodging income by county.

She in contrast 2022 to 2019 as a result of it was the final “regular” yr earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, rising fuel costs and flooding at Yellowstone Nationwide Park.

When evaluating these two years, Fremont County noticed a 130% enhance in lodging income — the most important amongst all of the counties in jap Idaho. This doubtless has to do with report visitation at Yellowstone in 2021, which might have introduced an elevated variety of lodgers to Island Park and surrounding communities.

It’s value noting that the final fiscal yr ended on June 30, a number of weeks after Yellowstone Park re-opened following a 9-day closure as a consequence of flooding. The decreased variety of guests to Island Park this summer season will probably be mirrored in 2023 on the finish of this fiscal yr.

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Bonneville County had the bottom share enhance in these two years. Bonneville County Assessor Dustin Barron provided his perspective on the info.

“I’m unfamiliar with this chart to know which properties it’s classifying as ‘lodging,’ however my assumption can be cabins, lodges, leisure use (and related) sorts of properties. Nearly all of the expansion in Bonneville County for these kinds of properties can be discovered across the Palisades Reservoir, Swan Valley space. Whereas there may be progress in that class, it is sensible that it hasn’t elevated as considerably as Fremont County,” Barron says.

One other shocking share enhance is Clark County at 45%. There are solely two motels in Clark County, in keeping with county officers. EastIdahoNews.com was unsuccessful in reaching one of many homeowners for remark, however Baughman speculated through the assembly on what is likely to be taking place.

“I feel short-term leases modified,” Baughman defined. “I additionally suppose it had rather a lot to do with … the Spencer Opal Mine digging when COVID went away.”

Whatever the breakdown, Wilson says the rise in income can have a optimistic influence on all of the counties in jap Idaho. The funds will probably be used to advertise tourism in jap Idaho over the following yr.

The board mentioned its advertising and marketing plan for the upcoming yr throughout Tuesday’s assembly, which makes use of on-line, broadcast, print and different media platforms.

YTT companions with a number of organizations by way of a money match program, that means there’ll doubtless be way more funding obtainable than the grant quantity for promoting or occasions. A few of these companions embrace the Idaho Falls Regional Airport, the soon-to-be accomplished Mountain America Middle, the Idaho Falls Arts Council and the Museum of Idaho.

Although YTT is required to advertise all companies within the area, Wilson says those that are members of the tourism board have a higher affect on how that cash is used. The fee for an annual membership is $75. These serious about becoming a member of can communicate with Jeanine Nelson on the Rexburg Chamber of Commerce. The quantity is (208) 356-5700.