CLEVELAND (WJW) — If you’re late to the party of scheduling a total solar eclipse trip, Destination Cleveland’s Emily Lauer has some honest advice.
“If you’re going to do that…be prepared to pay.”
For months, Lauer and his team have been estimating the number of tourists who will come to catch a glimpse of the total solar eclipse on April 8.
With less than two weeks left, our best guesses about what’s going to happen are very mixed.
“More than 200,000 people will visit Cuyahoga County for the day or overnight,” Lauer added.
One of the key factors in estimating the number of people visiting an area is hotel reservation information.
Airbnb recently provided data showing Cleveland is one of the most booked destinations for the eclipse.
Lauer said the statistics and others they’ve seen make a lot of sense.
“When you do a simple search on Expedia, which is what most consumers do, very little (open) information comes up,” Lauer explained.
At the end of the day, Lauer wants our community to accept what’s coming.
It’s a front row seat to witness history and a rare gift from Mother Nature.
“We often have to bid on events. We had to compete for a place in the women’s final four. We didn’t have to bid on this, Mother Nature. has given us.”