7. General Public Presentations, Items

City Commission Meeting · 2026-05-11 · agenda_item

The City of St. Augustine is reviewing economic impacts and resident feedback related to the annual "Nights of Lights" event. This review includes data on visitor spending, attendance, and lodging. The St. Johns County Visitors and Convention Bureau plans to continue this study in the future to inform decisions about the event. This review is in its early stages, with data being presented and discussed by city officials. The work involves analyzing visitor data, which could lead to future planning for event infrastructure, traffic management, and local business engagement. Contractors, suppliers, and service providers in areas like event management, data analysis, and local marketing could find opportunities by engaging early to understand potential future needs as decisions are made.

twelve neighborhood associations

12 neighborhood associations

total visitor spend

93 million dollars

total spent per person

330 dollars

total weeks for 2024-2025 season

9 weeks

total weeks for 2025-2026 season

8 weeks

new hotels

2 hotels

rooms per new hotel

142 rooms

TDT increase in November

9.9 %

TDT increase in December

5.5 %

TDT decrease in January

7 %

total TDT increase for Nov-Jan

3.9 %

residents

92,600 people

people from the County

279,600 people

people who used lodging

165,790 people

day trippers

113,810 people

lodging in St. Augustine Historic Area

21 %

lodging at Beach Front Hotels

15 %

lodging at I95 Corridor Hotels

7 %

lodging at Ponte Vedra Hotels

1 %

people arrived from outside downtown

293,979 people

November 2025 occupancy

67.8 %

November 2026 occupancy

59.4 %

December occupancy decline

1 %

January occupancy decline

12 %