Two-minute impact
During the Shenandoah City Council meeting Feb. 12, Mayner said that while the city’s hotel occupancy tax collections reached a new city record of $2.14 million in fiscal year 2023-24, up from the previous year, it could see slightly less annual growth going forward.
Hotel occupancy tax collections fund local tourism efforts through Visit Shenandoah, which in turn can drive visitor spending and contribute to the city’s sales tax revenue.
“Every day, new businesses open, new restaurants open, and we are just trying to keep getting the word out and keep people coming here,” Mayner said.
Mayner said three new hotels opened in Shenandoah in 2021, which increased hotel room availability by 31%, while a Hampton Inn opened in 2024, providing an additional 106 beds.
“Those rooms have to be promoted; you have to keep those beds full,” Mayner said.
Going forward
Mayner said one of the struggles that will face the CVB in the next few years is the growth of entertainment venues and hotel offerings in The Woodlands, Conroe and New Caney.
“We don’t have luxury, and we don’t try to market ourselves as luxury; we are economy to high-scale,” Mayner said.
Mayner said population centers like The Woodlands have more room to accommodate thousands of people, which is why Shenandoah does not focus on directly competing with The Woodlands for major conventions and gatherings.
“Every day, as long as they continue to have new development that is going on, that’s part of what we have to be vigilant about too,” Mayner said. “We have both our immediate area and the greater [Houston] area to watch out for.”
