AUSTIN (KXAN) — The tourism industry is expected to see one of — if not the biggest — economic events of the year during the April 8 eclipse. Experts say more than a billion dollars will likely be spent on hotels, travel and dining in cities along the eclipse path. This includes major cities like Austin and Dallas, but also in smaller towns throughout the Texas Hill Country and the Midwest.
“It’s such a big event for the travel industry. And there are so many different sectors that are able to make money off this,” said Hollie McKay, Vice President of Communications with HotelPlanner.com.
Thirty-two million people live in the path of the eclipse, the last in the United States until 2044. Compare that to the last total solar eclipse over the United States in 2017, where around twelve million people lived in the path, according to NASA.
The 2017 eclipse …