It was a good summer for Connecticut tourism. The governor’s office announced today the state’s 23 leading attractions saw a 12 percent increase in visitors for June to August 2015 compared to the year before.
These visitors were also opening up their wallets more than in the past. Tourism destinations in the state reported an increased level of spending this summer, rising to $906 per party – up 4 percent when compared to last year.
Governor Dannel P. Malloy said at an event in Colchester, “This demonstrates we’re making gains – jobs are growing significantly each month, our efforts to make our state a tourist destination are paying off, and the needle is no doubt moving in the right direction.”
The increased tourism is also apparently benefiting the state’s hotel industry. The state reported lodging occupancy increased 4 percent compared to last year. That’s compared to 1 percent for the entire nation. Lodging revenue exceeded $285 million this summer – an indication of higher demand – which is up 7.1 percent compared to last year.
“The success of the state’s tourism industry depends on the hospitality and service of our partners, which is why we’ve featured more than 1,000 hotels, attractions and other business owners in the marketing efforts of the Connecticut ‘Still Revolutionary’ campaign,” Randy Fiveash, Director of the Connecticut Office of Tourism, said.
