Eloise Bullen, 7, from the Kingwood area of Houston, looks to the sky during the total solar eclipse while enjoying some time by the pool at Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Tyler. (Jellystone Park Camp-Resort/Contributed Photo)

As a result of the historic total solar eclipse, East Texas saw a surge in tourism, with millions of visitors flocking to the area. In Tyler — which experienced totality — businesses, organizations and city leaders partnered to promote community engagement.

“Businesses, hotels and attractions, things like that really got involved,” said Sheridan Smith, Visit Tyler marketing and communications vice president. “It was kind of a community affair.”

After a year and a half of planning, Visit Tyler hosted its Totality Tyler event featuring events from Downtown Tyler, to Caldwell Zoo and True Vine Brewing Company April 5 through 8, catering to local, out of state and international clientele.

Hundreds gathered at the downtown square to witness the eclipse, with some enthusiasts even opting for rooftop vantage points.

“I remember when it was starting to get dark and I just had chills because it was like all of the hard work had come to fruition,” Smith said. “I think that is way cool, for something so simple to be so rewarding.”

Smith highlighted the collective desire to nurture community bonds and encourage gatherings, exemplified by events such as the Texas African American Museum’s Black Out Festival and the eclipse-themed activities at Broadway Square Mall.

“It really is something out of this world,” Smith said. “It was just almost something out of the movie, like I was watching a movie with people from around the world.”

She highlighted several memorable eclipse-themed offerings, including the Lunar Lugar beer crafted by True Vine Brewing Company, eclipse-themed cookies by Great American Cookie Company, and stickers and buttons by Ye Olde City Antique Mall. Additionally, Brands and Threads Apparel Co. offered eclipse-themed T-shirts, adding to the diverse range of commemorative merchandise available during the event.

Businesses, particularly lodging facilities, saw an increase in reservations.

Adriana Rodriguez, City of Tyler public information officer, said all the local hotels were expected to be full, meaning an influx of revenue from Hotel Motel Occupancy Tax (HOT). These funds are taxes charged by the state and city to visitors when they book a hotel.

The city uses these funds to pay for tourism operations like Liberty Hall, Rose Garden, W.T. Brookshire Conference Center, Main Street and the restoration of the Mayfair building.

“We also use these funds for projects that will increase tourism and contribute to the fund in the future,” Rodriguez said. “We also support local organizations that promote or encourage tourism including (East Texas Symphony Orchestra) and Visit Tyler, among many others.”

Despite the possibility of severe weather affecting the eclipse viewing experience, thousands of tourists chose to be transient instead of opting for a typical motel or hotel stay.

Tyler State Park was a popular destination for the total solar eclipse viewing Monday, with over 1,000 visitors attending between sold-out reservations and 800 day passes. The park, which spans over 985 acres, has several accommodation options such as cabins, screened shelters, and RV sites.

“All of our campsites were full, as those reservations were made and sold out five months ago,” said Boyd Sanders, resource interpreter and volunteer coordinator for Tyler State Park. “We were sold out almost immediately… for the solar eclipse.”

During a historic event like the solar eclipse, Sanders believes staying on a campground holds more benefits than staying in a hotel or motel, especially for an outdoor event.

“You’re already spending your time outdoors,” he said. “There’s a lot to get out and do in the parks, the hiking trails and… fishing and all that kind of fun stuff in anticipation of it. And if you’re camping in the site where you’re gonna see the eclipse, you don’t have to worry about getting out on the roadways and dealing with all the traffic.”

One visitor told Smith they rented an RV in South Carolina and were driving it all the way to San Francisco.

Entities like Tyler State Park and Visit Tyler also provided educational opportunities for visitors, including safety glasses and eclipse information.

“There was a huge education element to this eclipse,” Smith said.

In the months preceding the event, Smith utilized social media platforms to disseminate information about the upcoming eclipse. She aimed to provide factual details regarding the celestial phenomenon, including insights into the eclipse’s trajectory and the specific location of Tyler within the path of totality.

Because of eclipse tourism, direct spending of $7.7 million was expected for Tyler, with an overall impact of $25.1 million, according to a report published by the The Perryman Group.

Due to the influx of people, many businesses including Visit Tyler extended their hours. Smith reported that the Visitor Center located in Plaza Tower experienced its most successful sales day on record during the eclipse event. Thousands of eclipse glasses, posters and promotional items were purchased, resulting in a consistently crowded center throughout the day.

“It was crazy,” Smith said. “You couldn’t walk around.”

Guests from different countries signed their guest book and were eager to learn more about the Rose Capital of America, she said.

“Yes, they were there for the eclipse,” Smith said, “but it was really cool to talk to them, so they get to learn more about Tyler too.”

Sanders said people from all over the United States came to Tyler State Park, and there were even visitors from Denmark. And on the square, Smith met visitors from Germany, Australia and Canada.

“It was great,” Sanders said. “Everyone had a blast… had a grand ol’ time.”

Tom Elder, assistant general manager for Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts in Tyler, said people traveled from all over to their park as well.

“It was a really nice mix of people,” Elder said. “We had some from Houston, Louisiana, Colorado and some all the way up from Oklahoma.”

Like others, Elder said his park started planning for the eclipse over a year ago. Even though there were a few cancellations out of concerns of the weather, there were still around 200 people at the park for the solar eclipse viewing.

“As it turned out, the weather in the area was perfect,” Elder said. “It was partly cloudy all the way up to the eclipse but… just like a miracle, the cloud started breaking at the last minute. It was really beautiful.”

The park planned a weekend-long event to keep eclipse visitors entertained, with activities like arts and crafts and karaoke. Elder said there was a lot of positive feedback from guests. Many felt as though they had ‘front row seats’ to the solar eclipse.

“It was a phenomenal event,” Elder said. “We’ve been hearing about it for two years and I was very glad that we got to enjoy it and it turned out as perfect as it did.”

For an event like the solar eclipse, the experience is better with an outdoor venue, according to Brian Schaeffer, CEO of Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO).

“You can choose to stay close to your rig (or) cabin, or like most park experiences, it becomes a true ‘community’ experience,” he said. “The community experience is contrary to what is fostered at a hotel/motel in general. Just the laid-back atmosphere and no one putting on airs is what the (campgrounds and) RV park experience is all about.”

According to Schaeffer, the parks that were in the path of totality started prepping for the solar eclipse at least a year in advance, and many were sold out in a matter of weeks.

“I think by filling up the parks and having an event like this … brings a lot of people together,” Schaeffer said. “I think it also probably introduced some folks to the RV, camping lifestyle that might not have previously had that experience and we hope that they will come back and enjoy all the amenities that the parks have to offer.”

With the growing popularity of camping, many RV sites and campgrounds are offering accommodations and a variety of activities for their guests.

“Many of the parks offer more than just RV sites,” Schaeffer said. “They have cabins and cottages and camping accommodations. You’re not only bringing a lot of folks that are hardcore campers and RVers, but you’re bringing a lot of people that wanna experience the great outdoors and they would rather do it at an RV park than a hotel-motel.”

Over 430 members belong to the TACO, which has noted significant growth since its inception 52 years ago, Schaeffer said. In East Texas, about 10% of the region has “grown exponentially” with campgrounds, he said.