Tourism Means Business

Visit Tuolumne County is pleased to announce that Visit California has released the 2018* Travel Impact Report prepared by Dean Runyan Associates. The research results for Tuolumne County are worth celebrating. The numbers from 2017 to 2018 demonstrate a substantial increase in direct travel spending, employment and tax revenue at both the state-level and county-level.

*2019 Economic impacts available in May 2020.

Travel Impacts for Local Businesses:

Lodging: $76.4 million

Food Service: $74.5 million

Food Stores: $11.4 million

Local Transportation & Gas: $28.8 million

Arts, Entertainment & Recreation: $35.6 million

Retail Sales: $26.9 million

Transient Occupancy Tax Collected in 2018:

Tuolumne County (unincorporated): $4.5 million
City of Sonora: $434,000

About the Transient Occupancy Tax

- Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) is paid by visitors to our County and is a benefit to everyone who lives in Tuolumne County and the City of Sonora.

- Visit Tuolumne County is funded by 25% of the collected TOT, allowing Tuolumne County to be marketed as a tourist destination across multiple channels nationwide and internationally.

- 75% of the collected tax revenue goes towards infrastructure, parks and other important public services.

- TOT dollars are the only tax dollars that stay 100% local!

- The tax is collected from guests who stay at our local hotels, motels, B&Bs, vacation rentals, cabins and other short-term lodging.

- TOT is not a tax on businesses.

- The collection of TOT reduces the tax burden for local residents.

- TOT rate in Tuolumne County and in incorporated Sonora is 10%.