September may have marked a turn in the tough times for Pinellas tourism businesses.

Occupancy rates for St. Petersburg hotels increased 1.8 percent for the month compared to a year earlier, according to Smith Travel Research. Clearwater hotel occupancy was down 0.1 percent, essentially the same as September 2008. Filling more rooms came at a price. The average daily rate in St. Petersburg was $96.84, down 6 percent from a year ago. Clearwater's rate of $81.36 was 6.7 percent lower.

Countywide, occupancy and daily room rates have been in the red almost the entire year.

The September bump in room occupancy wasn't large, but "it's turning in the right direction,'' said Walter Klages of Research Data Service, which tracks tourism statistics for the county. His firm forecasts that Pinellas occupancy rates will go up as much as 1.5 percent for the coming winter/spring season, from January through April.