Stronger summer tourism expected

Trio of sporting events should bring more visitors to Hub

A trio of sports championships being held for the first time in the Greater Boston area is expected to offset a weak summer convention season and usher in a 2.1 percent increase in visitors compared to last summer, according to the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau.

From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, 6.1 million tourists, business travelers, and convention attendees from across the country and abroad are forecast to come to Boston and Cambridge, said Patrick Moscaritolo, the bureau's chief executive. That prediction is based largely on advance hotel bookings.

The government's definition of a visitor is someone who travels at least 50 miles or stays in a hotel.

The annual growth "is pretty robust in this environment," he said.

Record-high gas prices and recessionary worries are dampening some consumers' daily spending habits and summer travel plans.

According to a national survey of 6,678 adults conducted in February by AOL Travel-Zogby International, 27 percent of Americans said increasing fuel prices are affecting where they'll travel this summer, and 57 percent said they have less money to spend on summer vacations than they did last year.

But the Hub is hosting the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships May 24-26, USA Gymnastics' Visa Championships June 5-7, and the Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend Aug. 23-24 - "events that have very strong followings," Moscaritolo said. "These events are almost recession-proof."

Tickets to the NCAA championships alone have been bought by fans from at least 43 states and three foreign countries, according to the bureau.

The NCAA championships, which are being hosted by Harvard University, will be played at Gillette Stadium.

Nicole C. Wong can be reached at nwong@globe.com.