The upcoming solar eclipse has many meanings beyond its astronomical significance. For cities and towns located around the eclipse's direct line of sight, the event represents a major boost to the local economy.
Bookings for hotels, flights and rental cars soared up to three times in the week leading up to the solar eclipse, which will occur on April 8, according to a report from travel and expense management company Navan.
Hotel bookings soared 315%. Americans were eager to fly to see the eclipse, with flight bookings up 110 percent. Additionally, rental car booking sales increased by 212%.
Erica Goldring/Film Magic
In 2017, the last time a solar eclipse was visible across a large area of the United States, 88 percent of U.S. adults viewed it in person or online. This year, you'll see them in places like Austin, Texas. Little Rock, Arkansas. Buffalo, New York. And Cleveland. The eclipse's path will enter the U.S. from Mexico in Texas, head north to Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and exit the continent in Canada.
This total solar eclipse, in which the moon completely blocks the sun's light, will then undergo a 20-year hiatus.
Almost 500 cities in the United States are in the path of the total solar eclipse, and many Americans are planning trips to places where they can experience it.
The surge in travel bookings is most concentrated in Texas, which has several large cities within direct view of the eclipse. Dallas saw a 571% increase in hotel bookings, followed by Austin (421%). Columbus, Ohio (238%); and Indianapolis (130%).
Due to increased demand in certain regions, eclipse travelers can expect to see higher costs for everything from hotel reservations to flight and rental car prices.
Niagara Falls, New York, has seen the most extreme price increases, with hotel booking costs increasing by an average of 249 percent per night. In Waco, Texas, prices rose 81%, and in Burlington, Vermont, prices rose 35%. Cleveland and Austin saw similar price increases, with costs increasing by 33 percent and 34 percent, respectively.
Some of the least expensive cities and towns along the eclipse's path include Evansville, Indiana. Lubbock, Texas. and Plano, Texas. In all three, hotel booking prices actually fell compared to the previous week.
Thomas Platter, founder and CEO of crypto hub Autowhale, is charging $300 a night to rent out his property on the eve of a solar eclipse, and is worried about future housing. The owners said they expect to earn similar income.
“Response from potential renters has been positive and we already have several reservations,” Mr Platter said. newsweek. “During the eclipse, demand for accommodation is high, so we saw this as an opportunity to earn extra income.”
Some local governments are holding celebrations and making preparations.
Bloomington, Indiana, for example, is preparing for an influx of 300,000 visitors just for the event, which will likely be a big boon for local businesses. This could affect restaurants as well as hotels, which are expected to be fully booked during the eclipse.
“For a region like Indiana, events like this are not just a short-term benefit.”
“The Indiana Business Research Center's executive director and clinical associate professor of business economics and public policy at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business,” said Phil T. Powell, executive director of the Indiana Business Research Center.
“This is an opportunity to promote ourselves as a leading destination for relocation and business investment,” he said. newsweek.
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