NATCHEZ — Natchez sales tax receipts increased more than 6 percent this April compared to April 2015.

Tourism-specific taxes on hotels and restaurants also increased across the board in April.

The sales tax figures the State of Mississippi made available in June, which reflect sales tax collected by the city in April, increased 6.15 percent — from approximately $448,000 in 2015 to $475,500 in 2016.

This year’s April sales tax receipts are higher than they have been since 2006.

Interim Tourism Director Jennifer Ogden Combs said the city’s tourism-specific taxes, which include a 1.5-percent tax on restaurants, 3-percent tax on hotel bills, and a $2 heads-on-beds tax, are also higher than last year’s April receipts.

The restaurant tax is up approximately 14 percent, the hotel tax increased approximately 11 percent, and the heads-on-beds tax increased by 40 percent.

Combs said the Euro Auto Fest and other large tricentennial events likely contributed to the increases.

“Were optimistic about May too, from all our Festival of Music events,” she said. “We’ve had a really strong spring with additional events because of the 2016 tricentennial. I’m really excited about that.”

So far, sales tax receipts during the tricentennial have averaged lower than in 2015.

By June of the last calendar year, the city had collected $1,838,247.

The city has collected $1,809,213 so far this calendar year.

Last year, the sales tax income peaked in March before dropping in later months.