A large part of North America is about to fall into darkness. Although short-lived, Monday’s total solar eclipse proved profitable.
Across the United States, Mexico and Canada, towns and villages are planning what could become the biggest tourist attraction for many small cities. Larger venues more accustomed to hosting events are nevertheless expecting a large windfall.
“Usually we don’t have this kind of tourism — it’s not common,” said Edgar Augusto González-Zatarain, the mayor of Mazatlán, Mexico. “Nature gives us this opportunity, and we have to take advantage of it.”
Various indicators suggest the eclipse will boost economies along the path of totality, a nearly 110-mile-wide belt that stretches from Mazatlán to Montreal. Hertz said car reservations jumped 3,000 percent from last year. Airbnb reported a 1,000 percent increase in searches for listings. In Oklahoma, the Choctaw Nation saw a 200 percent increase in mid-March in reservations at its resorts and casinos.
Mazatlán has long relied on its port and fishing, but the beach town has grown on tourism, which now makes up 80 percent of its economy. However, it is often overshadowed by other Mexican resort towns and there have been recent instances of cartel violence which can scare tourists. Mazatlán will experience the eclipse longer than many other cities, at over four minutes. Hotels there are fully booked, and officials expect 120,000 visitors and an economic output of 500 million pesos (about $30 million).
Indianapolis expects about 100,000 visitors for the eclipse, said Chris Gahl, the chief executive of the city’s tourism marketing organization, estimating that visitors will bring in $28 million to $48 million for the city. The city is used to hosting big events — including this year’s NBA All-Star Game and the NFL scouting combine — but the eclipse is an opportunity for the city to promote more of its arts scene. and culture.
“We look at hosting and being in the path of totality as an opportunity to diversify and expand the audiences that might consider visiting Indy,” Mr. Gahl said.
Tourism officials in Austin, Texas, reported higher than usual hotel occupancy rates for the weekend before and the day of the eclipse. The city has the highest hotel inventory per capita in the state and is used to handling large influxes of tourists for events such as South by Southwest and the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.
“Our city is very prepared and very experienced with large events and large influxes of people coming into the city,” said Wesley Lucas, a spokesman for Austin’s tourism marketing organization.
Bulent Temel, an economics professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, estimated that eclipse tourism will add $285 million to the state’s economy. In an opinion essay, he called the event “the most profitable 22 minutes in Texas history.”
But towns in the Texas Hill Country, which offer better views of the eclipse, are less used to such events. Kerrville, a town of about 25,000, is preparing for its population to more than triple, town officials said.
The event that attracts tourists also presents a potential nuisance for public safety. Business owners and city officials have been preparing for years, drawing on the experiences of the 2017 eclipse.
“It’s going to be a huge economic boost for us,” said William Thomas, the emergency management coordinator for Kerr County, which includes Kerrville. “At the same time, it would be a massive drain on resources.”
Doug Hetzler, the manager of Gibson’s Discount Center in Kerrville, said his store will stay open longer in the week leading up to the eclipse and stock its shelves with Moon Pies and wind chimes.
Mr. Hetzler said the store will offer a deal for tourists looking for valuable space to park their cars during the event: Parking will cost $50, but if you spend $100 at the store, you’ll be reimbursed you that $50.
Mr. Hetzler hopes the eclipse, more than creating a financial windfall, gives visitors a lasting impression of a town — and an old-time store — that they might not otherwise visit.
“Our opportunity is to really expose people to a store like this and a culture like this,” he said.
