This podcast contains comments from Destination Bryan special events coordinator Caden Jones during a visit with WTAW's Bill Oliver, and comments from College Station mayor John Nichols during a visit on WTAW's The Infomaniacs with Chelsea Reber.

October was a record month for revenue generated by hotels in both Bryan and College Station.

The Destination Bryan tourism office reported it was the first time the monthly total exceeded $4 million dollars. That represents a 13 percent increase over the previous best month of November 2022, and the highest since records began in February 2010. Destination Bryan special events coordinator Caden Jones brought up the team effort that led to the record.

College Station mayor John Nichols noted during his visit on WTAW's The Infomaniacs that the October revenue reflected a 90 percent occupancy rate on the two weekends when there was not a Texas A&M home football game.

And Nichols says the city's tourism staff continues to look for opportunities to fill hotel rooms on weeknights and weekends when there are not Aggie home games.

News release from the Destination Bryan tourism office:

The hotel market in Bryan, Texas is stronger than ever with October 2023 bringing record breaking hotel revenue to Bryan, recording the community's first ever month of more than $4 million in hotel revenues. This represents a 13% increase over the previous best month of November 2022, and the highest since records began in February 2010.

2023 has already seen 5 months exceeding $3 million in hotel revenue with November and December still left to be reported, while 2022 saw just 3 months with hotel revenues exceeding $3 million. Prior to Destination Bryan's creation in 2020 Bryan hotels had only twice recorded more than $3 million in revenue in a single month.

This record breaking month is a continuation of consistent positive growth trends. YTD hotel revenue is up 21% over the same period in pre-COVID 2019 and up 13.2% YTD over the same period in 2022. Increased visitation and visitor spending in Bryan results in increased sales tax collections for the city, allowing for quality of life improvements including, but not limited to, funding for parks, public safety, economic development, libraries, etc.

"Destination Bryan's goal has always been to improve the quality of life for our residents. Breaking these records shows that Bryan is becoming a destination of its own and we can expect to see continued growth in the tourism industry along with greater positive impact on the community from these outside revenues," said Destination Bryan Executive Director John Friebele.

The past few years have seen an upward trend in hotel revenue and visitor spend due to the variety of events hosted by Legends Event Center, The Brazos County Expo, Texas A&M University, Destination Bryan, and other community partners.

While weekend events such as home football games and the Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo factored into this record breaking month, weekday events, such as the 101st Annual SWEMA Texas Meter School, Australian Shepherd Club of America National Specialty Show, and others, resulted in an 8.5% increase in weekday demand YOY.

“Bryan is significantly outperforming a strong statewide recovery in the hospitality sector,” said Destination Bryan’s Chairman, Spencer Clements, whose company also owns The Stella Hotel in Bryan. “John and his team at Destination Bryan are doing a great job in highlighting our city’s appeal, from our Historic Downtown to RELLIS to the new Legends Event Center at Midtown Park. October was very strong at The Stella, and not just because of home football games. It’s exciting to see multiple demand generators across the entire week, including a strong corporate traveler segment that is enjoying our region’s dining and entertainment options."

Abbreviations:
YOY - Year Over Year
YTD - Year To Date