Council Discusses Hotel Guest Tax Proposal

This afternoon, the Tulsa City Council discussed a process and public outreach plan for placing a hotel guest tax increase on the August ballot.

“Tourism is a vital component of our local economy,” Council Chair Karen Gilbert said. “Our discussion today reflects the beginning of a thoughtful process, and changes can still be incorporated after we receive stakeholder and community feedback. The hotel guest tax rate hasn’t increased in 40 years, and this effort is about creating long-term support for tourism without placing a burden on Tulsa taxpayers.”

The hotel guest tax funds the maintenance and operation of event venues like the BOK Center and Arvest Convention Center, promotes tourism and marketing of Tulsa to attract major concerts, tournaments, sporting events, and conventions, and supports economic development initiatives.

“Moving forward, Councilors will assess Tulsa’s tourism investment compared to peer cities, measure its economic impact, review the capital needs of our facilities, and engage and inform the community,” Council Vice Chair Christian Bengel said. “This process is about building on our past success and developing a tourism strategy for our future so businesses and residents can continue to grow from our community’s investment.”

The proposed measure is not an across-the-board tax on residents and would apply only to guests staying in Tulsa hotels and short-term rentals or residents who choose to book accommodations locally.

Recent efforts on the hotel tax began in January 2025, when economic development was established as a Mayor/Council budget priority. City leaders discussed the need to explore long-term funding strategies to support tourism and further establish Tulsa as a destination without burdening local taxpayers.

The Council did not discuss a proposed hotel tax rate during its meeting, but a proposal from November 2025 suggested an increase from 5% to 9.25% of the cost of a hotel room. This increase, if passed by the voters, would be the first in more than 40 years. Oklahoma City voters approved a hotel tax increase from 5.5% to 9.25% in August 2024.

Today’s discussion reflects the process for a hotel guest tax proposal only. The City Council has not established a timeline or proposal for sales tax or other revenue measures.

The latest data from Visit Tulsa shows visitor spending in Tulsa totaled $1.43 billion in 2023, an increase of nearly 4%. This equals $3.9 million spent every day by visitors in Tulsa.

For more information and to follow along with the process, visit: tulsacouncil.org/hotel