County collects $210,000 plus from Airbnbs

ELIZABETH LEPRO
Posted 3/27/19

REGION — According to county numbers, the Sullivan County room tax has received a boost of more than $200,000 from the inclusion of Airbnb hosts, most of which will go toward more marketing for …

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County collects $210,000 plus from Airbnbs

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REGION — According to county numbers, the Sullivan County room tax has received a boost of more than $200,000 from the inclusion of Airbnb hosts, most of which will go toward more marketing for the region.

Sullivan is one of 18 counties in the state that has embraced the Airbnb boom by levying a 5% room tax on hosts—people who rent out their homes, rooms or apartments on the popular site. Airbnb did not have data on how many hosts or sites there currently are in the county readily available, though that information is forthcoming. 

A search for Sullivan County, NY, on the site brings up more than 800 potential places to stay. Some of those listings are outside of the county, on the Pennsylvania side, or in other areas of New York.

Last year, hosts in Sullivan brought in $4.2 million and paid $210,292.73 of that in room tax to the county, according to county treasurer Nancy Buck. 

In all, Sullivan County has collected $366,830 more in room tax this year than from the same time last year. The total figures for 2018 have not yet been finalized, said Buck, since they are reported quarterly. The amount of room tax collected by the county, which includes funds from hotels, bed and breakfasts and other lodgings, has been steadily increasing for the last five years. 

The Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association (SCVA), which is funded by the room tax, will receive 85%, or $178,748 from just the Airbnb percentage of the 2018 room tax. SCVA Director Roberta Lockwood said the organization has no specific plan for that increase in money, other than to continue marketing and growing—with a continued focus on social media—as it has been for the last several years. 

“I think that the wealth that the tourism industry has brought to the economic base of this county is wonderful,” Lockwood said. She noted that the Catskills have been listed by Lonely Planet and Forbes as top travel destinations. She also cited a surge in tourist-centered development, including construction of the Kartrite, the Eldred Hotel, EPR Properties and Dream Hotels. 

The county legislature has had plans in the works for some time to build a visitors center near the Resorts World Casino. Last August, the visitors association agreed to front the $4.5 million for the property and then sell it back to the county. 

Lockwood said that she expects some of this new money would go toward the new visitors center.

“We’re trying very systematically and very cautiously to grow,” she said. “The bottom line is to make sure we do good things.” 

Editor's note: A previous version of this article did not include Nancy Buck's correct title. The article has been updated to reflect the correction.

sullivan county, airbnb, room tax

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