Visit San Antonio, which is the former San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau, will ask City Council this week to create a Tourism Public Improvement District to fund the marketing and promotion of tourism in San Antonio, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
The TPID, as it is called, will allow hotels to collect up to 1.25% extra assessment on hotel room charges in hotels of 100 or more rooms within the City.
The TPID was authorized by the Texas Legislature.According to documents filed with the City Clerk's office, the TPID is expected to generate $10.4 million in the fiscal year that begins in October.
The bulk of that money will be used for marketing and sales efforts to promote leisure and convention travel to the city, as well as promoting destinations.
This would be separate from the existing Hotel Motel Tax, which is used to support Visit San Antonio, but is also used to fund the construction of city projects related to tourism. The $60 million in improvements to the Alamodome which helped the city win the 2018 Final Four, for example, was funded by Hotel Motel Tax money.
The TPID would be managed by Visit San Antonio, and would help San Antonio compete with other markets for the very lucrative tourism dollar. Currently, tourism and travel represent a $13.6 billion annual economic impact for the city.
After the City Council gives its okay, 60% of the city's hotels would have to agree to join the TPID. There are 151 hotels in the city with the required minimum of 100 or more rooms. The agreement would be in effect for eight years.
None of this would involve any revenues from local citizens, unless they decide to spend the night in hotels, officials said.