There’s record tourism across Pierce County, report says



SEATTLE --  There's a new hot-spot for tourists, and it's further south than you might think.

A new report shows Pierce County tourism hit a record high in 2018. The county saw more overnight visitors, more daily visitors and more tourism jobs than ever last year.

Hotel occupancy rates have jumped more than 20% in the last 10 years, despite an uptick in hotel construction.

Pierce County's Travel Commission says even as people expected slow-downs, tourist numbers have remained high.

And new sites are getting more people there every day.

"From a tourism perspective, every day is definitely better than the last and everything is coming up right now,” Travel Tacoma CEO Dean Burke explained. “We have a lot of projects going on.”

Big events like a motorcycle race and rowing competition should keep visitors coming through the summer.