Nov. 18--York County tourism could get a $1 million boost from President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration Jan. 20, even though the county is about 90 miles away from the action.

The York County Convention and Visitors Bureau has been fielding calls from as far away as Texas from people looking for a place to stay when they go to the inauguration.

Alison Smith, public relations coordinator for the bureau, said a Houston resident recently called looking for a hotel.

"That kind of put our antennas up," she said.

The county contacted Destination DC, which is handling travel information for the inauguration.

"They've started referring leads to us, which tells us everything is full," Smith said.

A family from Dallas wanted to be able to put 50 people in the same hotel. They could only find a few rooms scattered in the D.C. area, but York County gave them more options, Smith said.

The bureau sent an e-mail to its lodging partners and found that many chain hotels were already booked, she said.

Cindi Wycheck, sales director at the Wingate by Wyndham in Manchester Township, said the hotel is more than half-booked for the inauguration.

She's hearing from a lot of bus tour groups. Most are staying at least two nights, she said.

"It's pretty exciting," she said. "It's a great opportunity for us."

Smith said York County has 3,800 hotel rooms, and the Washington, D.C., area has about 95,000. But 1.5 million people are expected to attend the inauguration.

"We would never have anticipated almost two months out being almost full," she said. But the influx of visitors during a traditionally slow time will give a boost to hotels, restaurants and other attractions, she said.

The bureau is estimating an economic impact of $1 million, and that's conservative, Smith said.

If the weather's nice, people can stay to visit York-area attractions, she said. And it might introduce people to a spot for future summer vacations.

"We're just really thrilled to be able to play a small part in democracy in action," she said.

THINGS TO DO: The York County Convention and Visitors Bureau lists the following presidential-themed activities as reasons to stay in York:

--Tour Martin's Potato Chips in Thomasville. The "bipartisan snack" aboard Air Force One was enjoyed at 10,000 feet by Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

--Visit Family Heirloom Weavers in Red Lion. The company's products can be found in eight presidential homes and on screen in costumes used in "Cold Mountain" and "Gods and Generals."

--Visit the Wilton Armetale factory outlet in Mount Joy. Its line of presidential serving pieces have found a home at the White House and Camp David.

For more ideas, visit www.yorkpa.org.

-----

To see more of the York Daily Record, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ydr.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, York Daily Record, Pa.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.