Columbus’ hotel and visitor totals could be headed for a record year, officials say, based on
first-half numbers reported on Monday. But the potential for landing even more visitors and
high-profile gatherings would be greater with an additional Downtown convention hotel.

As it is, the number of overnight visitors to central Ohio hotels increased and occupancy
reached a record high during the first half of the year, according to Experience Columbus and the
Greater Columbus Sports Commission’s midyear 2015 “State of the Industry Report.”

Hotel occupancy increased 2.5 percent, according to the report from the convention group and
Smith Travel Research Report. The average daily rate at greater Columbus hotels increased 6.1
percent, and bed tax collections were up 9.1 percent year to date.

“Overall, Columbus is having a very strong year,” said Brian Ross, president and CEO of
Experience Columbus. “We’re converting more day trips to overnight stays, during which visitors
spend three times more money in our community.

“This is, in part, a result of bringing more conventions to Columbus and effectively
communicating to visitors all there is to see and do in our city so that it encourages them to
extend their stay.

“This year could be a record year for us,” he said. “It’s exciting.” 

Columbus still lags in some categories.

In hotel occupancy, for example, the average of 10 cities comparable to Columbus that are
competitors for convention business was 65 percent. The national average was 69.1 percent. Both are
above Columbus’ 64.2 percent.

The average daily rate at hotels in the 10 cities was $103.96, while the national average was
$120.60, again above Columbus hotels’ $99.51.

The average revenue per available room in the 10 leading cities was $67.78, while the national
average was $83.37, both above Columbus’ $63.90.

The 10 cities are: Charlotte, N.C.; Cincinnati; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Cleveland;
Louisville, Ky.; Milwaukee; Nashville, Tenn.; Pittsburgh; and St. Louis.

“The good news is, we are improving at pretty strong levels,” said Eric Belfrage, a hotel
specialist with commercial real-estate firm CB Richard Ellis in Columbus. “Occupancy is within
spitting distance.”

As for room rates, “the cost of living is lower here, so room rates aren’t going to be as high,”
he said. Holding down rates is the fact that, “because we are a state capital, there’s a fair
amount of government business here, and per diem rates are historically lower.”

“Columbus is a very affordable place to not only live but also to visit,” Belfrage said. “It
makes us a very cost-effective place to have a meeting.”

The improved numbers are part of the convention bureau’s five-year strategic plan that began in
2012.

The plan “has us striving to finish in the top three of the competitive set in the (revenue per
available room),” Ross said. “We’ve never finished higher than sixth. This year we’re trending to
be seventh, up from last year when we were eighth.”

During the second quarter of 2015, Columbus hosted a total of 215 conventions, sporting events
and groups, including 11 citywide events.

“We had a national group return to Columbus this summer, which not only helped boost our
industry production, but also was a great example of a client bringing their event back to our city
because of the experiences and success they had the first time,” said Linda Logan, Greater Columbus
Sports Commission executive director.

The event was the USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships, a weeklong event that
attracted 12,000 visitors to Columbus, she said.

The current convention center is in the process of a $125 million expansion and renovation, Ross
said.

“What we need, and this is what we’ve heard from our customers, from major brands such as
Marriott and Starwood, is a 1,000-room hotel connected to our convention center.”

A larger hotel would create demand for new convention business to come to the city, he said,
citing as an example the 532-room Hilton Columbus Downtown, which opened in late 2012.

“Because of it being built, we’ve secured six or seven groups that we otherwise wouldn’t have
gotten,” Ross said.

Among them was the Southern Baptist Convention, whose 9,000 visitors spent $6.7 million locally,
he said.

Other big groups include the National Association of County Officers, whose visitors spent $4
million; the NHL All-Star Game, whose visitors spent $12 million; and Thirty-One Gifts’ annual
convention, whose visitors spent $6 million.

“We know we can add more with the addition of full-service hotels,” Ross said.

tferan@dispatch.com