The following excerpt is from an AP article posted in the September 27, 2012 edition of the Watertown Daily Times:
The 150th anniversary of the decisive American Civil War battle in Gettysburg is still nine months away, but park officials, local hotels and tourism planners are bracing for what is expected to be a huge turnout.
Gettysburg tourism office spokesman Carl Whitehill said Thursday many hotels in the immediate area have already sold out, and they are expecting some 4 million visitors over the course of the year, or about a third more than usual.
Many will be drawn to the July 1-3 battle anniversary, but another crush is expected around Nov. 19 to commemorate Lincoln’s famous address to dedicate the national cemetery.
“We are the most visited military park in the United States, (and) it’s the mecca of the Civil War, so a lot of people have been planning for this anniversary for years,” said Whitehill, with the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau.
