Hotel Occupancy Rising In Washington County

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- Washington County tourism officials say hotel occupancies have been rising over the past year.

The Herald-Mail reports the county has been looking for more ways to increase hotel stays as part of an economic development plan. Officials said the county attracts many day visitors to its parks, Civil War sites and other attractions but lacks in overnight visitors.

The numbers from 2012 showed an improvement, though. Thomas Riford of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau says there was a 12 percent increase in lodging occupancy in 2012, driven by overnight visitors. There were about 2 million overnight visitors in the county, which has 2,500 hotel rooms.

Hotel occupancy continued increasing in 2013.

The increased hotel business has generated more lodging tax revenue as well.

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