Hotels in Hamilton County logged better occupancy rates in the first six months of the year, helped in part by the throng of visitors who flocked to the Indianapolis area for the Super Bowl.

The county’s occupancy rate increased 8.4 percent, to 63 percent, compared with the first six months of 2011, according to a report by Tennessee-based Smith Travel Research.

The report also showed that the average daily room rate rose 14 percent, to $93.49.

While the Super Bowl helped increase occupancy and room rates, Hamilton County also saw more activity from other sporting events, in addition to concerts at Klipsch Music Center, the Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau said.

“The report’s findings are an indicator of how healthy the supply and demand side of the market is,” Brenda Myers, the bureau’s executive director, said in a prepared statement. “Tourism finally is making a comeback close to pre-recession days.”

The stronger occupancy rates in Hamilton County mirror what neighboring hotels in Marion County saw as a result of the Super Bowl.

Revenue per available room, a key measure of the health of the lodging industry, is projected in Indianapolis to grow 10.8 percent this year from 2011, according to recent projections from San Francisco-based PKF Consulting.