Summer Season puts Galveston Tourism Back on Track
August 31, 2010 by Assistant Editor
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Tourism numbers come in above 2009
GALVESTON, Texas (August 30, 2010) – As the summer season comes to a close, the Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) reports a positive increase in tourism business to Galveston Island.
Hotel Occupancy Tax increased 20% in May, 34% in June and 32% in July over the same months in 2009. This puts summer hotel tax collections only 15% away from peak numbers in 2008, before Hurricane Ike and a downtown in the national economy caused a decline in tourism.
“Despite negative perception from the oil spill and a tough economy, we are grateful for a successful summer,” said Meg Winchester, Director of the Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Our partners have worked hard to create new activities and special events and provide guests with a quality experience to keep them coming back to the Island.”
Another boost for Galveston’s tourism economy is expected over Labor Day weekend, Sept 3-6. Hotel rooms are filling quickly and with special events like the Brewmaster’s International Festival, Galveston is anticipating numbers above 2009’s occupancy.
The CVB did increase summer advertising this year, placing ads on major travel websites including TripAdvisor, Expedia and regional newspapers in addition to print, radio & television. Public relations efforts were also enhanced by visiting media in Dallas, Austin and Houston to battle the oil spill perception and promote leisure travel to the Island.
Galveston Island plans to continue the rest of the year strong with new special events and good hotel rates to entice visitors. The inaugural Shrimp Festival will be held Sept. 25 and to encourage Island living, the Downtown Lofts Tour is Oct 2-3.
A full calendar of events and more information on Galveston Island can be found on www.galveston.com.
