College basketball helped attract about 23,000 people to Wake County in the first quarter of the year.
The games were among more than 100 conventions and events in the area that helped generate tourism revenue, according to the Wake County Tourism Industry Report released by Visit Raleigh on Thursday.
Hotel lodging tax
collections are up a little more than 5 percent to $9.6 million compared to last year at this time, according to the report.
Wake County hotel occupancy was slightly down but continues to outpace state and national averages for the first quarter of this year.
Hotel occupancy declined about 4%, with nearly 64% of hotels occupied through March. That number was still higher than state and national averages of around 58% occupancy.
The lower occupancy rate was balanced by the average daily hotel rate, which showed a 5% increase to $135.86 per night.
Food and beverage numbers also showed an increase in the first quarter. Prepared food and
beverage tax collections were up 7 percent to $11.6 million through March.
Soccer tournament expected to also bring strong tourism numbers
While the NCAA Division 1 men’s and women’s basketball tournament first and second round games helped bring in tourists, it wasn’t the only event that saw big numbers. The Triangle Volleyball Club City of Oaks Challenge brought in another 10,000 people to the county.
Looking ahead, Wake County will host events including The Soccer Tournament (TST), which is expected to bring 35,000 visitors in early June to the area.
