Memorial Day Weekend is often referred to as the “unofficial start of summer,” and just in time for the beginning of tourist season, the Rockport Fulton-area reports a rise in their hotel room inventory.
“We’re anticipating a great, great summer,” Jatin Bhakta, owner of three hotels in Rockport, said.
One of Bhakta’s hotels, Fairfield Inn, reopened May 14 after having been closed for 21 months due to Hurricane Harvey. The opening was more than a month behind schedule, but it was ahead of an important time period for the local economy.
“We’re grateful that we were able to accomplish that before the Memorial Day Weekend,” Bhakta said.
The Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce keeps tracks of the numbers of hotel rooms before and after Harvey. During Memorial Day Weekend 2018, more than half of them were still offline because of the damage the devastating storm caused. This year, 73% of rooms that existed before the storm are usable again. Even with the influx of rooms, tourists are still urged to book soon.
“People who are looking to get a room need to go ahead and book, because we feel like we’re going to have one of the best summers ever,” Chamber Vice President of Marketing and Promotions Sandy Jumper said.
It’s a feeling echoed by Bhakta.
“We anticipate a great summer,” he said.
