Earlier today, the Galveston Convention & Visitors Bureau issued their updated Tourism Report which noted increases in occupancy and total revenue for hotels in  June 2018:

Occupancy (*Hotels Only) 

June 2018 80.9% 

June 2017 77.0% 

Up 5% from 2017 

Total Revenues (*Hotels Only) 

June 2018 $20,008,277 

June 2017 $17,427,303 

Up 14.8% from 2017 

*Occupancy and Revenue as reported by Smith Travel Research (STR)

At a recent meeting, the Park Board set the value of the Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) penny at $2,040,000 for the fiscal year 2018-2019.  This amount represents a 2% increase over the previous year. The Park Board expects hotel revenues to increase slightly because of higher average daily rates and several new hotels are set to open in the coming months. The penny, a concept used for Park Board budgeting purposes, represents the amount the Park Board expects to collect from each 1% of Galveston HOT, which is a 9% tax collected on overnight stays at island hotels, vacation rentals and other accommodations venues.  For more information, please click here.  

May is Preservation Month, and Galveston is ready to celebrate! With over 179 years of history as a center of commerce, culture, and finance, visitors and guests might find the historical landmarks across the City fascinating. Now they will be able to locate and tour the various designations with ease.  This new interactive map pinpoints each of Galveston’s historic landmarks, where they are located, and why they were designated as a significant piece of the Island’s story.

To view the map, please visit www.galvestontx.gov/ourstory. To learn more about the Island’s historic preservation efforts and to have properties designated as landmarks, please visit http://galvestontx.gov/630/Historic-Preservation. 

The City of Galveston's is holding elections to select the Mayor and six district Council Members. Early voting starts on April 23rd and is available thru April 27th!  Election Day is May 5th.  Galveston Island residents can vote at any of the county polling locations both on and off the island.   For a list of locations and times, please click here!

Save the Date - May 3rd

Join the Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the 4th Annual Tourism Summit!  This "must attend" event features a dynamic keynote address, top educational breakouts, opportunities to network with other tourism professionals and so much more!  More details to follow!

A new payment process will allow entities that collect Hotel Occupancy Taxes (HOT) to file and pay them in one step. The new process will automatically calculate the tax rate when the tax payer files his revenue report and will process the payment at the same time. Currently, tax payers must file and pay separately. The new system is being tested among a group of short-term rental property owners and is expected to launch in February. This is the final step in a multi-year process aimed at making HOT collections more business friendly. Previous changes include coordinating payment dates with state mandates, allowing tax payers to file quarterly instead of monthly and accepting credit card payments

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a "Tropical Storm Watch" for the City of Galveston as Tropical Depression Harvey reforms in the Gulf.  We encourage you to secure and prepare your property now for the potential of significant rainfall and storm surge flooding starting Friday thru the weekend.  

For more information from the City of Galveston regarding storm preparations, please visit galvestontx.gov.  You can also follow the City's Facebook page for periodic updates.  

For the latest information on tropical system, visit the National Hurricane Center website at hurricanes.gov. 

On May 29th, Governor  Greg Abbott signed into law HB 100 which created a statewide regulatory framework for ride sharing companies.  In light of the new legislation, Uber has indicated they will be resuming service in Galveston.   For more information, please click here. 

Save the Date - May 4th

Join the Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the 3rd Annual Tourism Sumitt!  This "must attend" event features a keynote address from the dynamic Cindy Novotny, top educational breakouts, the popular State of Galveston Panel, opportunities to network with other tourism professionals and so much more!  To pre-register, please click here.

Congratulations to Alejandra Hernandez, Banquet Captain at the San Luis Resort & Spa who was named Hospitality Person of the Year in the Manager / Supervisor category.  Alejandra has always been a star employee who holds herself and her employees to the highest standards. She makes sure that every detail in taken care of. She remembers our repeat guest and makes sure that she has their favorite drink or specialty food item when they attend events. Alejandra exemplifies Hospitality!  

Kevin Hanks, Steward with the San Luis Resort & Spa, received the Hospitality Person of the Year Award in the Heart of the House category. Kevin is the hardest working employee in the stewarding department . His "never say no" attitude translates to positive attitudes throughout the entire department. He always stays busy and is helpful to others. He is a tremendous asset to the San Luis family!