By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
There were concerns on the amount of transient guest tax that the City of Great Bend would collect during the 2023 fiscal year. The transient guest tax is applied to those staying in hotels or Airbnbs. With the race season cancelled at the SRCA Dragstrip and water levels low at Cheyenne Bottoms, there were questions regarding the amount of people that would stay overnight in Great Bend.
Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Christina Hayes said the 2023 totals were better than expected.
"Guests pay that 6%," said Hayes. "Five percent funds our CVB, and one percent goes to the Events Center. By state law, you have to use the tax on a CVB, marketing or bringing more visitors to town."
The 2023 total, which pulls from September 2022 through August 2023, collected $404,125. The number was down from 2022, which saw a record $434,649.
Hayes said the holidays do bring more traffic into hotels, but hunting is also a driving force in this area.
"We are a good hunting community," said Hayes. "I would say that's really what should get the credit, not necessarily the holidays. We do have people from Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado that come through to drive our Trail of Lights. That's why I track that tag data, to see where they are coming from."
Hayes said the 2023 numbers were aided by many adjusters and contractors in town from the July 16 windstorm. Also, workers involved with the construction of the new hospital in Ellinwood are still filling up hotel rooms in Great Bend.