A HOT gift from Airbnb

If the Austin Convention Center is so critical to the city's economy, why have city hotel tax collections actually increased since the convention center was reduced to rubble?

In the first five months of FY 2026, the city has collected $78.6 million in hotel occupancy taxes. That's up from $73.1 million at the same point last year. (The city ultimately collected

For another point of comparison, in the most recent month for which data is available (January), the city took in $14.6M, up from $11.4M in January of 2025.

So what's happening? Simple: far more Airbnbs are now paying taxes!