April 9, 2013 | WMFE – Construction on downtown Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts got a boost last week when Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs announced she’d be kicking in another $25 million dollars from the tourist development tax, TDT for short, to help the unfinished venue get off the ground.

Jacobs has also said revenue from the TDT, sometimes known as the hotel tax, is higher than this time last year, and that’s good news for Central Florida’s tourism economy. 90.7’s Nicole Creston asked economic analyst Dr. Hank Fishkind for his take on the tourist development tax, starting with a refresher on what the TDT is, and how it’s used.