Report: Simpsonville Tourism Receives Boost from State's Hotel Tax Revenues

Simpsonville has received $45,000 from the state's 2 percent accommodations tax revenues — money that will be divvied up to help underwrite several local events, the Tribune-Times reported.

Beneficiaries include smaller events seeking to grow, as well as established events such as the South Greenville Fair, which are vital to boosting the city's tourism, the paper said.

The free Twilight at the Tater Shed music series next to City Park might not have been possible if it weren’t for the $6,800 the Simpsonville Arts Foundation received, Wade Shealy, foundation chairman, told the newspaper.

“That’s what it costs to pay the musicians and maybe have a little bit for promotion,” Shealy explained.

The city's portion of state hotel tax revenues will go toward events next fiscal year — July 2013 to June 2014. The state assesses the tax on all overnight lodging stays in the state, then apportions the monies to counties and municipalities. 

The city also charges a 3 percent tax on overnight stays within city limits, but those funds are currently earmarked to pay off bonds on Heritage.

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