Lee County, Florida, along with Collier, Charlotte, Sarasota and other Florida destinations, is showing stronger tourism revenue performance in 2026 as tourist development tax collections reflect continued demand for short-term accommodation. Lee County’s seasonally adjusted real tourist tax revenue reached $4.3 million in April 2026, 17.3% above April 2025, according to the Regional Economic Research Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University. Across the coastal counties tracked by the institute, real tourist tax revenue reached $9.2 million in April, up 14.2% from a year earlier.
Florida welcomed an estimated 143.3 million visitors in 2025, a record for the state. Domestic travellers accounted for 91.5% of the total, with 131.1 million domestic visitors. Overseas visitation reached 9.3 million, while Canadian visitation was revised to 3.17 million.
For the first quarter of 2026, VISIT FLORIDA estimated 39.88 million visitors travelled to the state. Domestic visitors represented about 36.54 million, or 91.6% of total visitation. Overseas visitation reached approximately 2.29 million, an 8.5% increase from the same period in 2025.
Tourist development tax, commonly called a bed tax, applies to qualifying short-term accommodation stays. Florida law allows these revenues to support tourist promotion, tourism-related facilities and beach or shoreline maintenance, depending on the local levy.
Lee County Records Stronger Tourist Tax Revenue
Lee County’s April 2026 performance stands out among the coastal counties tracked by FGCU. Seasonally adjusted real tourist tax revenue reached $4.3 million, representing a 6% increase from March and a 17.3% increase from April 2025.
Lee County includes Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island, Captiva and Bonita Springs, giving visitors access to Gulf Coast beaches, islands, waterfront recreation and nature-based attractions. Accommodation demand connects with beach holidays, boating, fishing, wildlife experiences and other leisure activities.
The county levies a 5% tourist development tax on qualifying short-term accommodation rentals. In August 2026, Lee County published a proposed ordinance restating the existing five-percent tax and outlining the use of revenue for its tourist development plan, including beach park facilities and beach-related improvements.
Collier and Charlotte Also Show Revenue Growth
Neighbouring Collier County recorded seasonally adjusted real tourist tax revenue of $4.0 million in May 2026, 5.7% above May 2025, according to FGCU. Charlotte County recorded $706,400 in May, 5% higher than the same month a year earlier.
Collier County includes Naples and Marco Island, while Charlotte County provides access to Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and Gulf Coast destinations.
The accommodation tax figures track taxable lodging activity. They do not represent total tourism spending, but they provide a direct measure of short-term accommodation demand.
Sarasota Tracks Tourism Through Visitor Spending
Sarasota County provides another example of local tourism measurement. Visit Sarasota County reported 2.71 million visitors during fiscal 2025, with visitors spending more than $2.3 billion on lodging, dining, shopping, entertainment, attractions, groceries, transportation and other expenses.
Sarasota applies a 6% Tourist Development Tax to lodging stays of less than six months. The county states that these funds support tourism marketing, beach maintenance, beach renourishment, capital projects, events and other tourism-related activities.
Walton County Connects Revenue With Beach Travel
Further north, Walton County also funds tourism and beach operations through Tourist Development Tax collections. The county’s tourism authority states that the tax is collected from hotels, condominiums and other short-term rentals. The southern taxing district currently applies 5%, while the northern district applies 3%.
Walton County includes destinations along Florida’s Gulf Coast, with beaches forming a major part of its visitor experience. TDT revenue supports tourism marketing, beach operations, destination improvements and preservation initiatives.
What the Numbers Mean for Travellers
Southwest Florida combines beaches, islands, boating, nature and dining, while Sarasota adds arts and cultural travel. Walton County brings Gulf Coast beach experiences, while Central Florida remains anchored by theme parks.
Air access also remains significant. Florida’s 19 commercial airports handled 29.9 million enplanements during the first quarter of 2026, up 1.8% from the same period in 2025. Orlando recorded 7.6 million enplanements, Miami 7.4 million and Fort Lauderdale 4.7 million.
Key Stats
• Lee County tourist tax revenue: $4.3 million in April 2026.
• Lee County year-on-year increase: 17.3%.
• Collier County tourist tax revenue: $4.0 million in May 2026.
• Charlotte County tourist tax revenue: $706,400 in May 2026.
• Florida visitors in Q1 2026: 39.88 million.
• Domestic share of Q1 visitors: 91.6%.
• Florida airport enplanements in Q1 2026: 29.9 million.
Conclusion
Lee County, Collier County, Charlotte County, Sarasota County and Walton County are recording tourism-related revenue activity across Florida in 2026. With domestic visitors accounting for the majority of Florida’s visitor base and international markets also contributing, county-level tourist development tax collections remain an important indicator of accommodation activity across the Sunshine State, across Florida throughout the current 2026 travel season.
