TAMPA - The local hotel industry continued its slump in August with revenue and occupancy rates down from a year ago. The price of rooms also decreased, according to a Smith Travel Research study.

Hotel demand in Hillsborough County actually increased for the first time in more than a year, rising 5.5 percent to 330,322 guests, but that didn't help the bottom line. August hotel revenue in Hillsborough declined 6.8 percent to $26.1 million, year-over-year comparisons by the Hendersonville, Tenn., company showed.

Demand in Hillsborough rose 5.5 percent to 330,322 guests. But that higher number of guests paid less – by 11.6 percent for the average daily rate of rooms sold in August, to $78.96.

Overall, Florida fared better than the nation as a whole in terms of rooms sold with a decline of 3.9 percent in August compared with a U.S. decline of 6.9 percent.

The Tampa-St. Petersburg area showed a 1.7 percent gain in year-over-year rooms sold in August.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.