The county tourism industry seems to be bouncing back after two dismal years.

Statistics compiled by a national organization show that the number of people booking hotel rooms here so far this year has increased significantly.

Josh Nowak, marketing director of the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square and Lancaster County Convention Center, said the hotel operators have been pleased.

"We're encouraged," Nowak said. "May and June were slated to be some of our strongest months, and we're close to performing that way," he said, without releasing specific numbers for the privately owned hotel.

Numbers compiled by the national Smith Travel Research show that the downtown Marriott is not alone in seeing an influx of travelers.

On Memorial Day weekend, 77 percent of county hotel rooms were filled, the company's monthly report shows.

Lancaster County seems to be in a "sweet spot," Christopher Barrett, president of the county's Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau, said.

After two years of hunkering down at home to ride out the economic recession, consumer confidence seems to be up, and people are venturing out and spending. But they're not traveling far and they're not spending much, Barrett said.

Lancaster County, within a three-hour drive of Mid-Atlantic population centers, is positioned to get some of those travelers.

"People are so spontaneous and last-minute that the advertising is key," said Barrett, who said the visitors bureau has been placing ads in the New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., markets, as well as in central Pennsylvania.

"We're close and we're a value, and we've really strived to get that message across," he said.

Barrett said an important factor is the opening of "Joseph," the new show at the Sight & Sound Millennium Theatre. The show brings families and bus groups to the county.

He also expects "Joseph" to be a draw next year.

According to the Smith report, which tracks the hotel industry, Lancaster County hotels and motels have gotten more guests and more money in the first half of this year than the same period of 2009.

Demand for rooms was up 10.7 percent, and revenue was up 9.7 percent. Occupancy has been up each month this year, with the exception of January. Last month was the strongest so far this year, with a 12.5 percent increase in occupancy over June 2009.

The bad news in the report, however, for the hotel and motel operators is the price charged for rooms has actually declined nearly 1 percent, from $87.61 to $86.78 from the first half of 2009 to the first half of 2010.

The strongest months, in terms of revenue, were March and May. Barrett credited the American Quilter's Society show in March and the Sight & Sound show in May for the upswings. There are also signs that corporate travel is starting to return, he said.

Even with the upswing, the numbers do not approach those from 2007, a record year for tourism here.

Still, Barrett expressed confidence the resurgence will continue.

The visitors bureau already has secured major event bookings for the next two years, including sporting events, association meetings, religious and corporate groups.

One of those events, the U.S. Region 1 Youth Soccer Championship, is expected to bring a demand for 15,000 room nights over the six-day tournament.

"We're really targeting sporting events because they are almost recession-proof," Barrett said.

bharris@lnpnews.com