Not counting the effects of COVID-19, the biggest jump in year-over-year Palm Beach County hotel taxes over the past 15 years happened the same year that Donald Trump rode down a golden escalator to announce his run for the White House.
Professor Peter Ricci, a professor and director of the Department of Marketing–Hospitality Management at Florida Atlantic University, says it’s no coincidence. He’s not the only one calling the influence of having a president officially residing in this area the “Trump Bump.” Ricci and others are expecting 2025 is going to be a banner year.
“You cannot deny the local impacts of Trump winning the presidential election,” Ricci said. “It means media, journalists, official visits to Mar-a-Lago, the security, pilots flying in, the RNC (Republican National Committee) moving their offices here.”
It’s not been technically proved that every time a national news segment shows a report from “Palm Beach” — against a backdrop of palm trees gently swaying in the sunshine — that a hotel room gets filled. But local tourism officials believe that the inauguration is going to continue a surge in guest room occupancy.
“If history repeats itself, President Trump will frequently come to The Palm Beaches during his presidency,” Milton Segarra, president and CEO of the destination marketing organization, Discover The Palm Beaches, wrote in an emailed statement.
That was about 30 visits during his previous administration.
“Every time he returns to Mar-a-Lago, live broadcasts from reporters showcase our sunny skies, tropical palm trees and stunning city waterfronts, providing invaluable exposure for our destination and possibly enticing more visitors,” Segarra said.
It has certainly coincided with more money stuffed into county coffers. County figures show that from fiscal year 2014 to FY 2015, hotel tax collection jumped by a whopping 27%. Things plummeted during the COVID-19 days, before a vaccine became widely available. But that $33.4 million ($44.5 million in 2025 dollars) collected in hotel taxes in 2014 has essentially doubled in 10 years: $86.7 million was collected in FY 2024, according to county records.
The Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council is about to commission a study on the exact value of having a sitting president with his primary residence in a county, said Emanuel Perry, executive director of the council.
The results could spur investment in the area, Perry said.
“Because we want to know … what would the impact be of a current president, if they were to live in our county or a neighboring county, what would that impact look like?” Perry said. “From security all the way to restaurants, hotels, the media aspect.”
