Lenox, a tourism mecca in western Massachusetts, has seen a record rebound in visitor numbers in the wake of COVID.
According to a recent story in the Berkshire Eagle, Lenox lodging tax revenue fell to $1.7 million in fiscal 2021 at the height of the pandemic, but then more than doubled to a record $3.8 million. dollars in fiscal year 2022 and are poised to increase again in the current fiscal year. City officials were thrilled with the big increase in tax revenue, but weren’t sure if it would last.
“The reason for this cautious optimism is our inability to discern whether this is a lasting trend or just a ‘trip of revenge,'” City Manager Christopher Ketchen told the Berkshire Eaglea reference to pent-up demand in the wake of COVID.
A check by Commonwealth Lodging tax numbers for a handful of other communities around the state revealed an interesting trend. Like Lenox, many smaller tourist communities saw their lodging tax revenues soar to new heights in fiscal year 2022. But larger communities are lagging behind, perhaps because business travel isn’t did not rebound as quickly.
The journey of revenge may be real, but if it isn’t, all communities experience it the same way. For example, Chatham, Provincetown, Edgartown, Nantucket, and Rockport saw no declines in lodging tax revenue due to COVID and all hit record highs in fiscal year 2022, which ended July 1, 2022. last year in June.
Nantucket saw its lodging tax revenue grow from $3.8 million in fiscal year 2019 to $12.5 million in fiscal year 2022. Edgartown grew from $1 million to 3 .8 million. Rockport went from $409,000 to $903,000. And Provincetown went from $596,000 to $1.4 million.
Like Lenox, a number of other smaller communities experienced a decline in lodging tax revenue in fiscal year 2021 (July 2020 to June 2021), but then a sharp increase in fiscal year 2022 Salem fell to $554,000 in fiscal 2021, but then more than tripled to $1.8. million in fiscal year 2022. Falmouth fell to $600,000 before bouncing back to $1 million. Northampton and New Bedford followed similar trend lines.
In contrast, most major cities in the state still haven’t recovered all of the lodging revenue they lost during COVID.
Boston hit $100.6 million in lodging tax revenue the year before COVID hit, plunged to $15.6 million in fiscal 2021, and rebounded to $75 million in fiscal year 2022.
Cambridge followed a similar pattern, falling to $1.4m at the height of COVID and rebounding to $8m in fiscal 2022, half of what it brought in in the fiscal year. 2019.
Worcester has followed a similar pattern, while Springfield has yet to rebound.
All revenue figures are from the Department of Revenue, which collects the state’s 5.7% room occupancy tax and pays local communities their local lodging tax, which is generally 6% everywhere except Boston, which is 6.5%.
State lodging revenue reached $294 million in fiscal year 2022, more than double revenue in fiscal year 2021 and $11 million more than revenue in fiscal 2022. fiscal year 2019 pre-COVID.
BRUCE MOHL
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STORIES FROM ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB
BEACON HILL
A Republican aligned survey finds that most voters want to keep the 62F tax cap law intact. (MassLive)
With COVID numbers rising and some places reinstating mask mandates, Joe Battenfeld says Governor Maura Healey may soon be faced with the same difficult choices Charlie Baker handled pandemic politics statewide. (Boston Herald)
MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS
Northampton Officials have a heated debate over whether to limit the number of marijuana stores allowed in the city. (MassLive)
The Headmaster of South Hadley School resign after being on paid leave for nine months. (Hampshire Daily Gazette)
The owner of a sprawling 17-room mansion in Fall River, who lives in Wellesley and bought the house a year and a half ago for $1million, is in hot water with city officials because he rents rooms through Airbnb without proper permission or zoning approval. (Herald News)
A revised plan for securing a Northampton roundabout is drawing again criticism from Native American groups who say the construction will disrupt the site of an ancient village. (MassLive)
HEALTH/HEALTH CARE
Anesthesiologists at Massachusetts General Hospital try to minimize the use of gases that contribute to climate change. (WBUR)
For 27 years, the Lawrence-based nonprofit Angel Flight Northeast with 450 volunteer pilots across New England, has offered free medical transport by plane. (Gloucester Daily)
WASHINGTON/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
The Biden Administration unfolds a new student loan repayment program, but the initiative is facing many hurdles due to funding cuts from the Office of Federal Student Aid. (NPR)
Joe Biden’s Lawyers found classified documents in his former Washington think tank office. (New York Times)
ELECTIONS
Republican State Rep. Lenny Mirra of Georgetown hope a special election will be called to decide the outcome of the race he lost by a single vote. (Eagle-Tribune)
Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden, who was appointed to the position a year ago when Rachael Rollins left to become U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, was sworn in yesterday to a full four-year term after winning the election in November. (boston globe)
TRADE/ECONOMY
New Housing Approvals in Boston fell sharply last year, and some expect a further decline this year. (boston globe)
Owners of old fishing boats in New Bedford face a difficult decision: whether to invest money in repairing boats or retire. (Normal hours)
EDUCATION
Student Loan Borrowers deposit 1,200 complaints in one year about loan servicing companies to the new state student loans ombudsman. (Eagle-Tribune)
A group of Boston city councilors calls for the return of the police and metal detectors in schools following a series of violent incidents. (boston globe)
Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said Harvard University withdrew a scholarship it had offered him because of his criticism of Israel. (Associated Press)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / COURTS
A federal judge supports a $8million jury verdict against Worcester police, after a man accused police of sending him to jail based on fabricated evidence. (Telegram and gazette)
Springfield Police and City Officials do not know what to do with Gregg Bigda, after the former detective was acquitted of police brutality charges. (MassLive)
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