Year-to-year lodging taxes down from 2022

Through April, lodging tax collections for Lutsen and Tofte and the Grand Marais area were down when compared to last year over the same period. That said, they are slightly up for the Gunflint Trail area.

Through the first four months of 2023, collections for the Lutsen-Tofte Tourism Association (LTTA) were $69,944.52 in January, $76,995.18 in February, $90,287.41 in March and $31,817.96 in April. Starting in January 2022, collection for the LTTA over the same four months was $73,714.16; $84,744.54; $107,465,93, and $41,345.70 for April 2022.

Year-to-date lodging taxes are down 9.0 percent over 2022 for Lutsen and Tofte.

With fewer lodging establishments, Grand Marais Tourism Association lodging taxes are smaller than Lutsen/Tofte. Through April 2023, lodging tax collections are off 16.2 percent in a year-to-date apples-to-apples comparison. Collections in 2023 starting January were $17,514.29, February $18,456.44, March $16,639.88 and April $10,131.45. The same four months in order in 2022 were $20,113.01, 21,085.20, $22,569.16, and in April 2022 was $17,004.58.

Lodging tax collections were up the first three months of the Gunflint Trail from 2022 but fell in April when many lodges close for cleaning and getting ready for the summer season.

January 2022 and 2023 were a few dollars apart, with collections of $12,892.53 in 2023. February 2023 recorded $12,046.47 compared to $11,602.76 in 2022. This April saw $8,206.79 over $7,860.97 in March 2022. However, in April 2023, lodging collections were $730.76 compared to $1,919.80 2022 for the same month.