TOLEDO, Ohio — Now just a month away, the total solar eclipse of April 8, will bring hundreds of thousands of tourists to the Buckeye State to witness totality. This influx of tourism will benefit local businesses in small towns across northwest Ohio and much of the country.
The 2017 total solar eclipse, described as the "Great American Eclipse", provides insight into the expected impacts of the 2024 eclipse. In 2017, 215 million Americans witnessed the total solar eclipse either in-person or virtually.
The 2017 path of totality stretched from the southeastern to northwestern United States, spanning from South Carolina to Oregon. The state of South Carolina saw 1.6 million tourists, contributing an estimated $270 million in total economic impact. These financial contributions ranged from hotel bookings to dining expenses and souvenir purchases.
Of these 1.6 million tourists, approximately 800,000, or 50%, came from out of state. Most of these tourists travelled from North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia to witness totality. The tourism impacts of the 2017 total solar eclipse can be extrapolated to 2024 to project the expected significant financial impacts.
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For many rural states and small towns, the 2024 total solar eclipse will provide a once-in-a-generation tourism event. The Arkansas State House of Representatives estimates that 2 million visitors will flock to the state, making the eclipse the biggest tourist event in history.
So how will the total solar eclipse impact the Buckeye State? The organization Great American Eclipse has developed a mathematical model using ArcGIS software that projects eclipse-related tourism based on US Census data and the national network of highways and interstates. While it's impossible to predict exactly how many people will travel to Ohio to witness the total solar eclipse, this model provides an estimated range that depends on variables such as weather conditions. Anywhere from 125,000 to 500,000 out-of-state tourists will likely travel to the Buckeye State to witness totality.
Over 7 million Ohioans already live in the path of totality, many of whom will watch the eclipse from their hometown or travel locally to find an optimal viewing location. Small towns in Ohio will benefit most from eclipse tourism, and this computer model predicts up to 100,000 visitors travelling to cities like Upper Sandusky and Norwalk.
These cities southeast of Toledo will enjoy the longest period of time in totality, thus drawing in the greatest tourism numbers. The centerline of totality stretches from Wyandot and Seneca Counties through Erie and Huron Counties, providing these areas in north central Ohio with ideal viewing. Many Toledoans will likely travel and hour or so southeast to savor the fleeting moments of totality for slightly longer. The WTOL 11 news and weather team will have crews in some of these small towns in the center of the path of totality.
With a path of totality spanning from Texas to Maine, the 2024 total solar eclipse will provide a once-in-a-lifetime viewing experience for tens of millions of Americans. Great American Eclipse estimates 31 million Americans currently live in the path of totality and millions of others will travel to states with the best viewing conditions.
So how many tourists total will travel for the April 8 eclipse? With up to half a million tourists expected, Ohio will see significant revenue from the total solar eclipse. Texas will likely see the greatest influx of tourists due to its sunny weather, big cities, and ideal viewing within the path of totality. Models project anywhere from 270,000 to 1.08 million tourists to Texas.
Many Midwestern states will enjoy a big bump in tourism on April 8. Indiana will see a range of 131,000 to 522,000 tourists for the total solar eclipse. Illinois will likely have 69,000 to 274,000 out of state tourists. And Pennsylvania is expected to receive anywhere from 52,000 to 207,000 visitors. Overall, millions of tourists will flock to the path of totality to witness the total solar eclipse, and hundreds of thousands will likely travel to Ohio.
For some perspective on how significant of an event the total solar eclipse will be, imagine 50 Super Bowls occurring simultaneously across the country. High-end projections from the Great American Eclipse model estimate enough tourists to fill 50 stadiums traveling to the United States to witness the path of totality. This estimate does not include other parts of North America such as Canada an Mexico, which will see a sizeable boom to tourism as well.
Now just a month away, the total solar eclipse will provide millions of Ohioans with an amazing opportunity to witness a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event. Hundreds of thousands of tourists will travel to the Buckeye State to watch the eclipse. Small towns and local businesses will benefit the most from eclipse tourism. While the exact financial impacts of tourism will depend on the weather, the eclipse will inevitably provide significant benefits for many Ohioans. Stay tuned to the WTOL 11 weather team during this final month before the big day.
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