Counties pull together to secure 10K hotel rooms in 2 days for Republican Convention

We're continuing to learn more about what local officials had to do to get the Republican National Convention to Jacksonville. News4Jax reporter Scott Johnson has been talking to members of the tourism industry about the mad scramble to secure thousands of hotel rooms in a short amount of time.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Thousands of hotel rooms throughout Northeast Florida needed to be secured before the Republican National Convention heads to Jacksonville for President Trump’s renomination speech.

Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau and St. Johns counties pulled together to get the needed 10,000 rooms in just two days. Michael Corrigan, the president of Visit Jacksonville, said his office was contacted by Mayor Lenny Curry’s office with the request.

“If you had told me when the request first came in that we were going to be able to secure 10,000 hotel rooms, a written commitment for 10,000 hotel rooms in 48 hours, I would’ve said no way,” Corrigan said. “But that’s exactly what the region did.”

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Corrigan said the task wasn’t easy.

“With an inventory of 18,000 hotels rooms in Jacksonville, getting 10,000 rooms nights was quite difficult,” Corrigan said. “I can’t say enough good things about the counties that surround Duval County that jumped in.”

Clay County is chipping in by securing 450 rooms in Orange Park, Fleming Island and Middleburg.


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