Expect a busy weekend Poplar Bluff.
Occupancy rates for area hotels are already at 78% for the night before the April 8 eclipse, according to a company that tracks statistics for the hospitality industry.
The city’s hotels saw an occupancy rate of 0% for the same date in 2023, reports Amadeus Hospitality, which recently released a report tracking advance stays booked in nine cities across the United States which will provide prime viewing for the eclipse.
“Anyone located in the total eclipse path from Texas to Maine, will have a chance to see the rare phenomena,” Amadeus reported. “The eclipse is already showing that it will drive a bumper April 2024 across the regions through which it will pass. People anxious not to miss out have already booked their hotels to be able to see the eclipse in style, boosting hotel numbers and Average Daily Rates (ADR) throughout the route.”
Poplar Bluff ranked third on the list of cities for occupancy rate, with Erie, Pennsylvania and Burlington, Vermont both topping 80%.
“For context, the majority of hotel bookings normally take place 0-7 days before travel, so it is very unusual to see these high numbers this far in advance,” Amadeus reported.
Paducah, Kentucky, has a 48% occupancy rate for April 7, while Little Rock, Arkansas, is at 39%.
The average occupancy rate for the nine cities as of Dec. 14 was 59%. Data was included on Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Evansville, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; and Buffalo, New York.
Poplar Bluff has been ranked one of the best viewing spots in the country because it will have 4 minutes and 8 seconds of totality, the longest of any sizable community in Missouri.
The longest totality will be 4 minutes and 26 seconds at Radar Base, Texas, the first location to experience totality in the U.S.
The Average Daily Rate for rooms in the nine cities tracked by Amadeus has increased by over 400% compared to the same time period in 2023. In Poplar Bluff, the peak ADR for April 7 is $285, compared to $121 in 2023.
Events are still being lined up for the weekend of the eclipse, but everything from education to comedy and music festivals are planned in Poplar Bluff.
Jeff Foxworthy will perform April 7 at the Black River Coliseum. Rodgers Theatre will host an Opry at the Rodgers event April 5. Downtown Poplar Bluff will host a free music festival April 6, with singer Marybeth Byrd as the headlining act.
A solar eclipse viewing and tailgate hosted by Big Whiskey and Fairfield by Marriott starts at noon April 8. Totality will begin at 1:56 p.m. in Poplar Bluff.
Other events over the weekend include night golf and an educational talk by former NASA astronaut Tom Akers.
The main viewing station for the eclipse will be at Poplar Bluff High School’s football stadium.
SMTS will offer free shuttle rides to different areas of activity, the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce has said.