ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County commissioners voted Tuesday to approve new spending guidelines for Visit Orlando following an audit that raised concerns about how tourist tax dollars were used.
The vote stems from a county audit conducted last year that found Visit Orlando miscategorized some of its spending.
[RELATED: Orange County made nearly $400M in tourist taxes in 2025. Here’s what the money is used for and why]
The audit claimed tourist development tax money was used on items that did not directly promote tourism, that some tax dollars were not properly classified, and that lobbying efforts in Tallahassee were carried out without county permission.
[WATCH: Comptroller’s audit: Visit Orlando spent tourist tax dollars on skyboxes, other non-tourism items]
Visit Orlando is the region’s official tourism marketing organization, responsible for promoting Orlando as a destination to travelers and conventions around the world.
The agency is funded in large part by county tourist development tax dollars collected from hotel stays.
Visit Orlando gets 30% of TDT revenue, which is roughly $100 million a year.
The new guidelines include revenue reclassification, requiring that when Visit Orlando uses tax funds to pay for any part of an event or activity, it must classify a proportionate share of the revenue generated as tax funds. That money would be subject to the same restrictions and reporting requirements.
The deal also requires Visit Orlando to create a standard operating procedure for reclassifying revenue, to be approved by the county.
It clarifies that any unspent work plan funds taken from tax dollars for spending on meetings, convention sales and marketing, must be returned to the county on expiration.
It also clarifies what is and is not considered “lobbying activities” and what money can be spent on with regard to those.
The county plans to appoint a staff member at the county level to oversee and track how tourism tax dollars are used.
Commissioners said the newly approved guidelines are meant to bring more clarity and accountability to how the tourism marketing agency spends taxpayer money.
[WATCH: How to use tourist tax dollars in Orange County generates ‘hottest’ debate]
“This is what taxpayers expect us to do in our job and we’re not given the time to truly vet this or review and get all of these answers to these questions we have and I think it’s very irresponsible for the county,” said Commissioner Mayra Uribe.
Others argued it was time to move forward.
“We have been going in circles, and I keep saying being a good steward of the people’s money is also being a good steward to the people’s time,” said Commissioner Michael Scott. “We have so many other things to address and I think it’s time to close this chapter and move on.”
Following the vote, Visit Orlando President and CEO Casandra Matej said the organization is ready to move ahead under the updated agreement.
“We have now clarified our agreement and are happy to be aligned with the county and the comptroller and we are ready to get back to business,” Matej said.
Commissioners approved the new guidelines in a 5-2 vote.
[READ Orange County’s draft agreement below]