Rosen Hotels CEO Pitches New Orlando Tourist Tax

The CEO of Rosen Hotels, one of the biggest voices in Central Florida’s travel industry, is pitching a new hotel surcharge to improve transportation in the area.

Frank Santos, who took over as CEO of Rosen Hotels following the death of founder Harris Rosen last November, is proposing a new tax on lodging in Orange County. The charge would affect stays at Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando, and other major theme parks and conference centers. Santos said the funds gathered from the extra charge would be used to enhance local transportation options like Lynx, the commuter bus that runs through Orlando.

Santos told local Fox 35 Orlando this week that it takes some Rosen employees “an hour or an hour and a half to get to their workplace traveling on Lynx.” He said a new surcharge could improve transportation for both locals and visitors, including options like Brightline and SunRail.

Santos is proposing a 3% tax on every dollar spent on lodging, which he said would provide an additional $180 million for Orange County and would not deter visitors. The county already has a 6% tourism development tax that took in a record $33.7 million in June. The funds from that existing tax are legally required to be used for tourism-related projects.

For now, the idea is just a proposal from one of the area’s biggest industry leaders. Any additional tax on tourists would have to be approved by Florida’s state legislature.