A combination of past bookings, a near-par Canadian dollar and better-than-expected summer weather contributed to making a July a record-breaking month for hotel occupancy in Erie County.

According to statistics compiled by Smith Travel Research of Nashville, hotel occupancy for the month of July in Erie County stood at 84.9 percent, a 7.7-percent increase from July 2006. Heavy convention and meeting bookings, coupled with traffic generated by some amateur sports events and annual summer festivals created a scenario in July where all major hotels were booked solid for most or all of the month.

The spin-off wasn't just limited to Erie County. Hotels in Niagara County reported an 83 percent occupancy rate in July, a 5.7-percent increase from 2006.

By comparison, Rochester's hotel occupancy dropped from 75.1 percent in July 2006 to 73.1 percent last month.

Nationally, the hotel occupancy rate also dropped in July, going from 71.3 percent one year ago to 70.9 percent this year

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