CORNING, NY (WENY) -- A near-total solar eclipse will happen on April 8th, and it is expected to bring tourism to the Southern Tier. Only a select part of the country will fall in the direct path of the eclipse. Our area will have almost full solar coverage according to experts. 

People from all over are expected to come to the region to witness this once in a lifetime event. Some hotels are already fully booked in anticipation, over nine months in advance. The Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel doesn’t have any rooms left for the week of April 8th. Other hotels like the Staybridge Suites in Corning aren't fully booked yet but are expecting an increase in bookings for that week. 

“It is a little far out now, but hopefully with more people learning about [the eclipse], that will definitely up our occupancy for that time,” said Courtney Lewis, sales manager for the Staybridge Suites. 

The hotels recommend that people from out-of-town book their stays sooner rather than later if they're planning to travel in for the eclipse. The April 8th eclipse will begin its journey in Texas, passing over our region at approximately 3:20pm that afternoon.