Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Nebraskans warmly welcomed visitors to witness the Aug. 21 eclipse. The economic numbers also came in quite handsomely in return.
Nebraska was host to more than 708,000 eclipse tourists, and about 87 percent of them were from out of state. When the numbers are crunched for their spending on lodging, food and other needs, the estimated economic impact totaled $127 million.
Given the eclipse’s diagonal path across the breadth of the state, this economic boost was felt across many communities.
Thousands gathered at sites across Nebraska, with major crowds at spots including Carhenge and Homestead National Monument. On the eclipse day, the Beatrice area was host to an estimated 40,000 visitors.
Nearly 40 percent of out-of-state visitors surveyed for the Nebraska Tourism Commission said that they’re most willing to visit Nebraska again in the next two years. Nebraska communities surely deserve a big applause for making this such an astronomical success.
