Tourism up in March, as are hotel rates

NAPLES — Revenues at hotels in Collier County rose 12% in March as hoteliers boosted rates by more than 10%.

The data confirms anecdotal reports that the height of the busy spring tourism showed a marked improvement over the same period in 2012.

Revenue per available room, an important financial gauge of the hotel business that is a function of average occupancy and daily rate, rose 12.3% to $269 in March compared with the same month one year ago, according to Research Data Services. The company surveys hoteliers for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Hoteliers in Collier County boosted the average daily rate in March by 10.8% to $288 compared with March 2012. They did that without sacrificing occupancy, which rose 1.3% to 93.4%.

Meanwhile, 45% of hoteliers surveyed reported that reservations in the next three months improved from the same period last year. Just 13% reported a slower outlook.