The City of Fort Worth is celebrating record-breaking tax revenue generated from tourism amid a surge in activity in recent years.
At a recent annual meeting, the city’s tourism division revealed that the tax revenue generated by Fort Worth visitors has jumped 47% in the past four years.
“We are all part of the visitor economy. From hotels and restaurants to banks and insurance companies, from the National Cutting Horse Association and the mighty equestrian community of Will Rogers to the curators who have made Fort Worth museums an art mecca between the coasts,” said President and CEO of Visit Fort Worth Bob Jameson, per FWR.
Fort Worth’s mayor, Mattie Parker, expects the growth to continue, given the city’s continuing expansion—it is approaching one million residents.
However, Parker notes that progress is more than growing the city’s size.
“It’s about maintaining our sense of place and significance as a world-class city right here in Fort Worth, Texas,” explained Parker
Last year, more than 30,000 hospitality industry jobs generated over $3.5 billion for the city. Throughout 2024, 11.5 visitors descended on Fort Worth, helping the city pull in $251 million in state and local taxes.
To put the figures in perspective, Visit Fort Worth data says that without these funds, every Fort Worth household would be forced to pay an additional $750 in property taxes to make up the difference.
Last year, The Dallas Express reported that residents of Cowtown overwhelmingly voted to approve an increase in the city’s hotel occupancy tax from 15% to 17%. The city charges the tax to hotel visitors who spend the night in Fort Worth. The additional funds raised by the increase are earmarked to fund the over $700 million renovation and expansion of the city’s convention center. The refresh is slated to wrap up in 2029 following two main construction phases.