Travelers across the Rio Grande Valley spent more than $272 million on lodging between January and June, up 15% between 2025 and 2026, according to Texas Comptroller hotel occupancy tax data analyzed by the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal.
South Padre Island was the most popular destination for overnight stays, and travelers often chose short-term rentals rather than hotels, particularly Airbnb and Vrbo, according to the data. Vacasa Inc., another international short-term rental company, also had a strong presence on the island.
South Padre Island room receipts grew from $93 million during the first six months of 2025 to $115 million in 2026 during the same time frame — that’s an increase of nearly 24%.
Likewise, room receipts in the city of Brownsville increased by 18% to $31.6 million between January and June 2026.
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Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza
Reporter
Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza is a versatile multimedia news reporter who lives and works along the Texas-Mexico border in Hidalgo County. Mosbrucker-Garza is a news reporter for the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal. During her career she's worked for the McAllen Monitor, San Antonio Business Journal, The Advocate Newspaper in Louisiana, Phoenix New Times, and public media outlets in Baltimore and Philadelphia.
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