Most of California is lamenting huge losses in tourism and blaming the nation’s recession as the reason. In Mariposa County, the hit has really not been felt, and in fact, things got a big boost from the Mariposa Youth Football Superbowl the first weekend in November.

According to Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) receipts for the 2009-10 fiscal year, Mariposa County is just about even with where it has been in the past three years. In some cases, the figures are higher than last year.

In August, TOT receipts were down slightly from 2008, when Mariposa County experienced a more than $1.4 windfall from TOT. The figure fell to about $1.3 million this year.

The following month, however, 2009 totals bettered the previous year slightly, rising above $1.4 million again. A similar increase over 2008 came again in October. Transient Occupancy Tax is paid to the county the month following its collection by hotels, motels and bed and breakfast establishments.

The current fiscal year looks to be on par with the previous two in terms of total collection. In 2007-08, the County collected about $3.7 million during August, September and October. Last year, that number jumped to $3.9 million. So far this year, the County has collected just under $4 million during the same time period.

The totals for the previous two fiscal years ended up nearly identical, at just over $10 million. If visitation continues at the rate it began this year, the County will realize the same revenue.

The fact that Mariposa County remains steady in TOT receipts is a lot more impressive when compared to the rest of the state. The rest of California is down about 26 percent.

“We’re running about even,” District 4 Supervisor Kevin Cann said earlier this week. He had earlier credited the Mariposa Yosemite Tourism Bureau with keeping things going.

At the Nov. 10 board of supervisors’ meeting, Cann said Tourism Director Jeff Hentz “had certainly hit his stride.” He noted the steady TOT income and said the Business Investment District, which gets one percent of TOT funding, is the core of the tourism bureau’s funding. “This shows what a great investment that is,” Cann said.

The investment translates to jobs and income for local residents. According to the State Board of Equalization, tourism equals about $1,560 per household in Mariposa County. In neighboring Madera County, that figure is just $73 per household. Only Mono County is higher than Mariposa, at $2,692.

The figures show that nearly 48 percent of Mariposa County employment is attributable to travel income. More than 31 percent of earnings come from the same source.

While October receipts for TOT aren’t in yet, all signs point to good things. Cann said he had been told by Delaware North Parks and Resorts at Yosemite and Yosemite Motels that they had a “banner October.”

DNC’s PR Manager Kenny Karst confirmed that. “"Yosemite has realized better-than-expected visitation this fall, most likely due to a variety of factors,” he said. “The PBS airing of Ken Burns' documentary series, ‘National Parks: America's Best Idea,’ certainly contributed to our increased numbers. And so did an unseasonably warm weather pattern over the last few months, combined with a spectacular display of autumn leaves.”

Karst said conditions continue to draw visitors. “As a matter of fact, the fall color in Yosemite Valley is still amazingly beautiful. Many of the black oaks and maples remain bright yellow."

Soon enough, those colors will be covered in a blanket of white, which will bring even more visitors to the area.