TOLEDO, Ohio —
Hotel rooms are being booked at record rates as people plan to travel to northwest Ohio for the total solar eclipse on April 8.
Anywhere from 139,000 to 556,000 people are expected to travel to Ohio for the eclipse, according to Destination Toledo.
The eclipse could be the single largest tourism event Ohio has ever experienced. If the sky is clear, the population of Lucas County alone could double on the day of the event.
"We're expecting big crowds, huge crowds. We could see 400,000 people, plus another 400,000 people in Lucas County," president and CEO of Destination Toledo Lance Woodworth said.
Jean Mulero, a Home2Suites employee, said they have about 15 rooms left for the weekend of the eclipse. He said these rooms started to be booked months ago.
"Our hotel rooms are booking up at a rate that is 400 percent faster than they were a year ago," Woodworth said.
"It's better to start booking those rooms because people are booking like crazy," said Mulero.
Hotel rooms and campgrounds are still available in the area, but they are expected to be going quickly. As the eclipse approaches, hotel rates are expected to increase.
The next total solar eclipse in Ohio will be in 2099, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Although the eclipse is in the afternoon, Woodworth suggests people book a hotel for Monday night and leave Tuesday, as roads and highways are expected to be busy after the eclipse.
Mulero said the hotel will have events for visitors. Destination Toledo has a list of hotels and campgrounds available, as well as additional travel information for visitors.