Tourist development tax revenue dropped 15.6 percent in January in Osceola County, compared to the same month in 2009, according to the last report from the county tax collector.

Revenue for January was $2,286,346, compared to $2,709,658 for the same month a year earlier. For the fiscal year so far, which began Oct. 1, tourist tax revenue is down 9.1 percent.

The January hotel/motel occupancy rate, excluding Disney properties, was down 8.1 percent, going from 51.8 percent last year to 47.6 percent this year. The average daily room rate was down as well, going from $82.22 last year to $73.48 this year, a 10.6 percent drop.

“We should keep in mind that we have properties in foreclosure or near foreclosure that are not paying their taxes or not paying all of their taxes,” Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Tom Lang stated in an e-mail. “A review of occupancy and the other taxes will give you a feel for the state of travel and the state of the economy. I appreciate the effort to collect the TDT (tourist development tax) but I am afraid that we cannot use TDT collections as the sole barometer of tourism in this economic environment.”

The county collects a 6 percent tax on all short-term lodging of less than 180 days. Prior to July 1, 2004, the tax was 5 percent.