New Braunfels Edition | April 2026

Capitalizing on tourism From the cover

How it works

Tourism Public Improvement District The assessment would only apply to eligible hotels dened as having ve or more rooms available for guests.

New Braunfels city limits

GUADALUPE RIVER

Live music can be heard most days in the Gruene Historic District, and to make sure it doesn’t fall on deaf ears, a new initiative in New Braunfels is hoping to capitalize on the city’s burgeoning tourism opportunities. The city, alongside the Convention and Visitors Bureau, or CVB, hopes to bring in tourism year- round and improve tourism infrastructure, CVB President Tanya Pence said. The city was tapped in 2024 by Texas Hotel and Lodging Association President Scott Joslove as a candidate for a Tourism Public Improvement District, or TPID. The district would help raise funds to market New Braunfels as a tourist destination, Pence said. The TPID would implement a 2% rate assessment added on top of hotel room costs within city limits—not a tax, Pence said. “For example, if your room rate is $100, this would make it $102. Those funds go directly to support hotel occupancy within the city limits,” Pence said. The CVB—an arm of the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, or GNBCC—would develop marketing initiatives, research proposals and sales strategies and bring them to the TPID board for approval. The board, composed of hotel owners and managers, reviews and approves proposals. Once approved, the CVB submits them to the city, which releases funds to pay vendors. Pence said the assessment would fall primarily on out-of-town visitors. TPID revenue is designed to benet restaurants, retailers and attractions alongside hotels. “It’s simply an investment that delivers measurable returns by bringing those visitors here,” she said.

1 Gruene Homestead Inn 2 The Faust Hotel

3 SpringHill Suites by Marriott 4 Rodeway Inn New Braunfels 5 The Neue 6 Holiday Inn Express & Suites New Braunfels by IHG 7 Courtyard by Marriott New Braunfels River Village 8 Prince Solms Inn 9 Gruene Mansion Inn 10 Hilton Garden Inn New Braunfels 11 Hill Country Inn & Suites 12 Hacienda del Rio

COMAL RIVER

LAKE DUNLAP

NOTE: THIS LIST OF HOTELS IS NOT COMPREHENSIVE.

Timeline to implement the TPID Ocials have been working to establish a TPID in New Braunfels for almost a year. New Braunfels City Council is expected to approve the establishment of a TPID in April.

April 2026* City Council considers TPID approval

November 2025 Presentation of TPID petition process

February 2026 Presentation and petition service plan approval

April 2025 City/chamber meeting

December 2025- January 2026 Gather petition signatures

June 2025 Brief to City Council

March 2026 City Council accepts petition and public hearings

July 2026* TPID becomes e ective

NOTE* PENDING TPID APPROVAL

SOURCE: GREATER NEW BRAUNFELS CHAMBER OF COMMERCECOMMUNITY IMPACT

Why now?

TPID petition thresholds The GNBCC needed to gather petitions for 60% of hotels in New Braunfels, measured by combined appraised value, lot size and the total number of hotels, but has received higher support in all three categories. 60%

Rising marketing costs and a lackluster 2025 tourism year led to a need for a TPID, alongside entering a signicant period of opportunities, according to a March 9 presentation to council. The opening of Zipp Family Sports Park and ren- ovations to The Faust Hotel are expected to bring visitors throughout the region, meaning more TPID funds. Hotel occupancy tax revenue in New Braunfels decreased by 10% in scal year 2024-25, and the CVB’s current $2.3 million budget was not sucient for proper advertising, Pence said. The district is expected to bring in, on average,

about $1.1 million in extra funds per year, the pre- sentation states. To establish the TPID, organizers were required to meet two out of three state-man- dated petition thresholds, which includes approval of 60% of the total appraisal value for all hotels, 60% of the total lot size of all hotels and 60% of the total number of hotels within city limits. Similar districts have been implemented in 10 other cities across the state, including San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin. Pence said the Dallas TPID saw its 10-year contract renewed, showing further statewide support.

Appraised value

Lot size

Number of hotels

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