Video: Columbus Pilgrimage Numbers Increase

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus pilgrimage organizers are blooming over this year’s attendance.

The Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau board got an update on the early figures on Monday from CEO and Executive Director Nancy Carpenter.

Carpenter says people from 38 states and 12 countries took part in everything from home tours to Tales from the Crypt to the mayor’s Unity Picnic this year.

Overall, there was a 20 percent increase in participation.

This means, area hotels saw an increase in reservations.

“With our new hotels, we had more rooms available. But our occupancy and the hotel revenue in some instances, on some days, was up as much as 190 percent in the revenue,” said Carpenter.

Carpenter says it could take a few weeks before final economic impact numbers are released.