LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A record number of hotel rooms were booked in Louisville over the past fiscal year.

According to the Louisville Tourism press office, from June 2018 to July 2019, 711,864 nights were booked in hotel rooms, almost 57,000 room nights above the annual goal of 655,000.

Additionally, the number of site visits for meeting planners who were considering booking in Louisville was 471, compared to the annual goal of 280.

The agency attributes the increased interest in the city to the $207 million renovation, expansion and re-opening of the Kentucky International Convention Center, as well as an increase in the number of hotels downtown.

The convention center closed down in 2015 for two years of renovations.

"It was worth the wait," Kentucky Venues President and CEO David Beck said. 

So far this calendar year, the city has hosted 51 events, drawing an estimated $95 million into the local economy. In 2015, the last year the KICC was open year-round, the city hosted 49 events total and brought in $56.7 in economic impact.

"From a group standpoint, we look very strong, specifically at KICC," said Doug Bennett, senior vice president of convention development at Louisville Tourism. "Our mission is evolving to factor in group size and needs along with strategic assessments in determining what events to host as more groups consider Louisville. Demand has never been higher."

Louisville Tourism President and CEO Karen Williams said the difference in economic impact numbers reveals the difference in convention sizes. 

"A lot of people, when it closed in '15 were like, 'Oh my goodness, what's going to happen?'" Williams said. "I would say, to date, it has met and exceeded our expectations of the new convention center."

The convention center hosted more than 130 events since it opened this time last year, Beck said.

"I think most people had an estimation of maybe 80 to 90 [events], so by exceeding that number, we've done really well," Beck said. 

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