Hotel occupancy in Jefferson County was up 1.8 percent over 2017, which was also a benchmark year for the area.

The numbers were provided by Smith Travel Research who produces the STR, or STAR, report of data for global hospitality sectors in 180 countries, including the United States.

The average daily rate in Jefferson County was also up to a record $90.82. Revenue per available room, which calculates how much revenue lodgings make within a certain period, was up 2.7 percent.

J. John Oros Jr., the bureau’s president and CEO, attributed the rise in hotel traffic to several high profile sporting events, such as the U.S. Women’s Open Championship, the SEC Baseball Tournament, and the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. There were also Talladega racing events, Alabama football games in Tuscaloosa, bowl games, and tourism related to Birmingham’s civil rights history and food scene.

“This past year we doubled our efforts targeting regional leisure visitors seeking new outdoor activities like climbing, hiking and biking,” Oros said. "We’re telling potential leisure visitors to come for an authentic Southern weekend getaway, something that’s rarely been done by the CVB in past years. By all accounts, that’s an advantageous route to follow.”