Smith Travel data shows January drops in Columbia County tourism revenue and hotel performance

A Smith Travel representative told the Columbia County Tourism Development Council that January 2026 bed-tax collections and hotel performance declined compared with January 2025.

The presenter said the county collected $149,082 in bed-tax for January 2026 versus $205,975 in January 2025, a decline of $56,893 (27.62%). Fiscal year-to-date occupancy tax receipts stood at $703,594 compared with $823,497 at the same point the previous year, a $119,903 decrease (14.56%).

On property performance, the presenter reported January occupancy at 59.1% (a 9.5% decline year-over-year), an average daily rate of $99.61 (down 6.9%), revenue per available room of $58.83 (down 15.8%), and 36,490 rooms sold (about an 11% drop).

"National headwinds — from geopolitical uncertainty to rising travel costs — are contributing to softening in markets," the Smith Travel representative said, noting some of the declines mirror broader U.S. trends.

Council members asked for local context and hoteliers in the room offered anecdotal perspective: one attendee said February and March metrics are expected to improve and noted some national February records, though local market strength varies.

Why it matters: bed-tax receipts fund tourism promotion and local events. The council received the data as part of routine monitoring and did not take further formal action on the report during the meeting.

The Tourism Development Council moved on to other agenda items after the presentation; the financial report and several event funding requests were considered later in the meeting.