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The state’s lodging industry got a bump from tourism this summer, state officials say, and Gov. Ned Lamont is taking a victory lap and launching a new initiative as leaf-peeping season nears.
Through June, independent research data from Tourism Economics shows that visitation to the state has risen by 3 percent year-over-year, Lamont’s office announced Monday. In addition, data from CoStar-owned lodging data provider provided by Lamont’s office showed that the state’s hotels, motels and B&Bs had a 10 percent revenue increase year-over-year through July 31.
Room occupancy figures collected by the Connecticut Department of Revenue and published on the state’s open data portal show room occupancy tax receipts were up 8.64 percent year-over-year in June, the most recent month for which figures are available, as was the total number of room occupancy receipts subject to the state’s lodging tax.
That’s up from 7.78 percent growth in room occupancy receipts in May and 6.75 percent growth in April, but down from 18.47 percent growth in March and 10.79 percent growth in February.
In addition, Lamont’s office said, web traffic to the state’s official tourism site, CTvisit.com, through June was also up 44 percent year-over-year.
“This spike in both current visits – and interest in future visits – reflects Connecticut’s growing appeal,” Lamont said in a statement. “This fall, we encourage our residents and our visitors to explore Connecticut’s amazing attractions and enjoy all the ways you can take in our incredible fall foliage.”
Just in time for fall foliage, earlier this week the state launched CTParks.com, a new website showcasing Connecticut State Parks that was designed to integrate with CTvisit.com.
“What makes this video-rich website a great experience for users is that it allows visitors to find exactly what park is right for them based on their interests or location,” Katie Dykes, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said in a statement. “As we approach the much-anticipated fall foliage season, this resource becomes invaluable for planning an unforgettable autumn adventure. The difficult part will be deciding which park to enjoy first!”
The state data announced Monday offers more good news for the state’s lodging industry. The state’s supply of hotel rooms dropped 2 percent last year, STR data found, as underperforming assets closed permanently or were converted to apartments. State room tax data showed June stays were 27.83 percent above the same month in 2019 – the highest increase on that basis for any month so far this year – and 45 percent above where they were in 2021.
