History has been made for Crawford County in 2018, surpassing 100,000 rooms in local hotels in the course of one year.
According to the Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau this is the first time to ever reach that mark. The total demand for the year was 106,079 room nights.
Several factors over the years have led to the growth needed to surpass the milestone, Crawford County CVB Executive Director Devin Gorman said.
“Ten years ago, the county hadn’t even hit the 60,000 mark,” he said. “Since then, everyone has played a part. New hotels and new event centers have opened.“
Older hotels have been renovated and so have sporting facilities. Access has improved at the Mined Land Wildlife Areas and community festivals have continued to grow.
“Throughout the area, we have more events than ever taking place for both residents and visitors,” Gorman said.
The La Quinta Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites allowed for more rooms for larger-scale events, Gorman said.
Gorman also noted two large projects that have had a “tremendous impact”on tourism over the past few years: The Robert W. Plaster Center and Kansas Crossing Casino and the Hampton Inn & Suite.
(Read more: Community – Morning Sun)