By Ken Jackson
Staff Writer

At the final Tourist Development Council meeting of 2012 on Dec. 18, officials from Experience Kissimmee (formerly the Convention and Visitors Bureau) reported the same good news on Tourist Development Tax collections that they have monthly for the last half of the year.’

TDT collections increased 16 percent year-over-year for October, and the projects for the full year are that $35.9 million will have been collected when fiscal year 2011-12 ends.

That figure exceeds projections by better than a million dollars, and is just $700,000 off of the region’s peak year (2008-’09).

TDC Chairman Brian Wong noted that the last five months have seen a combined 10 percent increase year-over-year.

“I take a lot of pride in the acceleration of the growth in those months,” Wong said. “The numbers we’re seeing reflect the good work Shelley (Maccini, Experience Kissimmee Executive Director) and her staff is doing.”

Other positive factors for the local tourism industry mentioned were an in increase of $48.1 million in fiscal 2011-12 in local tourism-related sales, after a $32.9 million increase in that segment the previous fiscal year.

Website business leads and room night goals have also exceeded projections, and the lodging industry has seen a steady increase in average daily room rate since March 2012.

Sport-event driven room nights (79,629) exceeded projections by 20 percent, and international room nights (293,000) were a slight increase over projections.

Maccini noted that the international quidditch competition that will come in April has been a big win in the sports market, driving the “Generation Y” market component that Maccini said officials are targeting.

“I think this has been a tremendous year,” TDC Vice Chairman Kent Bjorklund said. “We’ve seen the fruit of much labor on part of (Shelley’s) team, so this is a refreshing restart.”

County staff also noted that applications for a second round of the TDC’s Tourism Enhancement Grants Program are being accepted through Jan. 31.

A pool of about $110,000 is available for groups who are looking for promotional or marketing support of events programs that enhance the TDC’s initiatives to drive tourism and will occur prior to Sept. 30.

Government and non-profit organizations based in Osceola County for at least two years may apply for a grant to receive funds for, preferably, new special events.

Since its inception, more than $14 million has been awarded to various organizations in Osceola County.

County staff also at the meeting outlined some possible landscaping upgrades that could be made to Osceola Heritage Park to better define its roads into the facilities and improve sight lines.

The plans include new trees that will line interior OHP roads and new electronic signage, including a double-faced, V-shaped sign that would announce events and be placed directly next to U.S. Highway 192.

Final approval and funding for this project has not been approved, although the county replaced the perimeter chain-link fence around OHP with black metal fencing.

Planning and Zoning Manager Kerry Godwin said the county also is investigating adding new landscaping to the Florida’s Turnpike interchange about a mile east of OHP.