People staying in Vicksburg while working on the outage project at Entergy’s Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson have increased hotel occupancy rates to 75.5 percent for February — about a 21 percent jump from January — and increased hospitality tax revenues.

“It’s definitely outage-related,” Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Bill Seratt said Thursday in reporting the numbers to the board of directors.

The outage project is an upgrade expected to make Grand Gulf the nation’s single most powerful reactor. Entergy officials have said about 4,000 workers are involved in the project, and most of them are staying in Vicksburg hotels.

While the occupancy boom has meant more money for the VCVB, Seratt said, there is a down side.

“It’s hurt us in other ways,” he said. “People are unable to get rooms, and rates are high.”

The February occupancy rate was 24 percentage points higher than the 51.5 percent rate for February 2011, bringing in $81,578 in hospitality tax revenues for the month, more than $8,000 over the $73,574 in tax collections for 2011.

Seratt said hospitality tax revenue for March so far was $102,474, $30,372 more than the March 2011 revenue of $72,102. He did not have the March occupancy rates.

January’s occupancy rate of 54.4 percent was about 12 percent more than the 42.7 percent rate for January 2011.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the minutes for the Jan. 26 meeting.

• Received and approved Seratt’s report.

• Approved changes to the board’s bylaws.

• Approved the following requests for support: Mississippi Association of Supervisors Minority Caucus, $1,500; Vicksburg July 4 celebration, $1,500; • Vicksburg Red Carpet Auto Show, $500; the Alcorn State University Jazz Festival, $2,000.

Support for the July 4 celebration is less than for the previous year, when the VCVB provided $2,500 for the celebration in 2011. It gave $500 to the car show in 2011.