Corpus Christi hotel owners banded together to create a Tourism Public Improvement District to support additional city marketing. Courtesy photo
TPID spurred by hotel owners, approved by City Council
Corpus Christi hotel owners created a funding mechanism to further market the city of Corpus Christi to tourists. The Tourism Public Improvement District, approved by the City Council at its June 28 meeting, will assess a 2 percent tax on taxable room rates at hotels in the city with 40 or more guest rooms. The expected $3 million revenue will be transferred to the city along with Hotel Occupancy Taxes.
More than 60 percent of Corpus Christi hotel owners signed a petition to create the new governmental district, Erica Bhakta, executive vice president of Visit Corpus Christi, told council members during a public hearing held in conjunction with the City Council meeting.
“The TPID essentially would allow us to be more competitive as a city as it relates to meetings and events, bringing new business and really expanding that outreach for larger events to the city of Corpus Christi,” Bhakta said.
Visit Corpus Christi and area hotel owners worked with the Texas Hotel Lodging Association to develop a petition for hoteliers to sign to create the TPID. Visit Corpus Christi will manage the funds and use them to promote the city, following an adopted service plan.
Several other Texas cities have TPIDs, including San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Waco.
The Corpus Christi Tourism Public Improvement District Corp. will be managed by a board of directors composed of hotel owners within the group.
alecia@ccbiznews.com
