Numbers are in: RNC provided bed tax bounce

TAMPA BAY, Florida - An look at the August bed tax numbers from around Tampa Bay indicates local hotels - and county tax accounts - got big boosts from the Republican National Convention (RNC).

Hillsborough County collected $1.94 million in bed tax revenues last month, up 25% from last year.  August, typically one of Hillsborough County's three slowest tourist month, was the fourth-biggest for the county's tourist tax in the last year.

Pinellas County just released its preliminary report as well, indicating a $2.2 million month of August, up 22% from 2011. 

While the region enjoyed a hospitality and tourism bounce from the four-day convention and surrounding activities, there's no indication yet as to whether the convention (and disruptions) had a positive or negative effect on the region's economy as a whole.  The state won't release August sales tax numbers until October.