Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development Tourism topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Boulder creates lodging business assessment area to fund destination marketing; 2% charge approved
Summary
The council established a Lodging Business Assessment Area (a tourism improvement district) that will assess lodging guests 2% per night to fund VisitBoulder's sales, marketing and event-attraction work; staff estimated first-year revenue at about $2.1 million.
Boulder City Council on Feb. 6 adopted Ordinance 86 83 establishing a Lodging Business Assessment Area (ELBA), a tourism improvement district that will assess lodging businesses 2% per paid room night. The assessment applies to visitors and will be managed by VisitBoulder under oversight provisions in the ordinance.
VisitBoulder CEO Charlene Hoffman and Assistant City Manager Mark Wolf presented the proposal and said the ELBA is an industry-driven funding mechanism intended to increase meetings and off-season visitation, support conference attraction and marketing, and provide sustained, targeted revenue for visitor-focused programs. Hoffman said the assessment was designed to be paid by visitors, not by local taxpayers.
"The proposed assessment is 2%, which translates to additional $4 a night on a $200 room," Hoffman said in her presentation. She told council VisitBoulder and hotel partners expect the ELBA to support sales and marketing that increase occupancy during shoulder months and to help attract larger conferences once new hotel and conference capacity opens.
Staff described broad industry support during the petition stage; the presentation stated about 90% of lodging partners surveyed supported the ELBA. Council heard multiple in-person comments that evening from hoteliers and hotel general managers who said the additional funds would enable VisitBoulder to expand group-sales capacity and better compete for conferences and events.
Staff and VisitBoulder projected roughly $2.1 million in first-year revenue under the assessment and said the ELBA board would include lodging representatives and city representatives for transparency. Council adopted Ordinance 86 83 by roll-call vote.
Ordinance and vote: Council adopted Ordinance 86 83 establishing the Boulder Lodging Business Assessment Area and authorizing VisitBoulder to administer the program. Motion to adopt was made by Councilmember Taisha Adams; second not specified. Roll-call vote recorded the ordinance as adopted unanimously.
