Austin’s largest event venue will soon be demolished, but the city plans to keep tourism booming during its absence.
The Austin Convention Center brought ~$468 million to the local economy annually. The new facility — projected to generate $750 million yearly — won’t open until spring 2029.
Enter: the new Austin Tourism Public Improvement District. Launched at the beginning of 2025, the initiative aims to retain and attract conferences and sporting events to increase hotel demand over the next 10 years.
Beginning Tuesday, April 1, a new 2% nightly fee on most hotel rooms will fund these efforts.
The ATPID is expected to generate $29.7 million in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Here’s how it will be spent:
- 60% for marketing + additional sales outreach
- 20% for convention center sales + group business incentives
- 10% for the Hotel Activity Incentive Program
- 10% for research + ATPID administrative costs
