Wasatch County visitors can enjoy hiking, biking and live music on Heber’s Main Street.
But this summer, the city saw slightly fewer newcomers than usual, said Heber Valley Chamber executive director Dallin Koecher.
“On the outside looking in, it looked like a really great summer, and then you dive into the details, and it was still a good summer,” Koecher said on KPCW’s Local News Hour Sept. 9. “It was nothing to be too concerned about yet, but definitely something we’re watching out for and trying to keep track of to see what’s going on.”
Koecher said hotel occupancy hovered around 60% to 70%, with a roughly 2% decrease in demand. Meanwhile, transient occupancy tax collection is up 5%. He said the numbers don’t account for all of August.
He hypothesized that some numbers could be related to higher gas prices and lower water levels in reservoirs, which limits summer boating activity.
“It's just not as strong as has been, you know, in previous years where it's just double-digit growth, which is fine,” Koecher said. “We you know small, measured growth is better than the other way, right?”
He pointed to events such as Heber’s Market on Main Street as summer successes.
According to a report by the Community Alliance for Main Street, 45,000 visitors came to the market this summer for live music, food trucks, church services, art festivals, yoga and car shows.
Looking ahead, Koecher said the city will need to expand its job market to match growth.
“I don't think we're going to have a hard time encouraging people to invest in Heber Valley because oh, it's a great place,” Koecher said. “It's a great place to own and operate a business and to live and work and play and all those fun things. It's always the great, now, who are you going to hire?”
He estimated need for tourism industry jobs in Wasatch County could triple when the Deer Valley East Village opens for the 2028-2029 season.
Heber Valley Tourism & Economic Development is a financial supporter of KPCW.
