Park City Chamber of Commerce CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff said visitation this summer fluctuated throughout the season.
“Definitely a mixed bag,” Wesselhoff said on KPCW's "Local News Hour" Sept. 22. “Slightly up, but relatively flat, is my forecast for the summer months.”
The chamber’s lodging data shows that occupancy was down 4% year-over-year in July and up 11% in August. September numbers currently show a 6% increase in bookings.
Wesselhoff said some lodging properties are seeing more activity.
“We’re definitely seeing the kind of minimized properties performing a little better, and also the properties that cater to groups, corporate meetings,” she said.
Looking ahead, the chamber’s forecast indicates an uptick come ski season.
“We’re behind pace for October and November, but December and January are looking pretty strong,” she said. “December right now is ahead of pace 20%.”
January bookings are ahead of pace by 6% year-over-year and February is down 10%, but Wesselhoff said she expects the numbers to change as snow begins to fall.
International visitation has dipped in the U.S. this year, however, she said Utah isn’t being as impacted as much as places close to the Canadian border, like Portland and Seattle.
“We’re definitely seeing an impact to the U.S. with international traffic,” she said. “In Park City, only about 10% of our total business is international business. So even if we have declines, it’s not going to be so impactful for us.”
With J-1 visa workers and other seasonal employees set to return to Park City for the winter, the chamber is relaunching its rental incentive program. Called “WE RIP,” the program is a collaboration with the nonprofit Mountainlands Community Housing Trust.
In exchange for providing housing to workers, locals can earn a variety of incentives, from Rossignol skis to a $300 gift card.
“It’s really become a cost-effective way to generate additional rooms or beds or units for our employees,” Wesselhoff said.
She said the program served around 40 workers last winter. More information about the program can be found here.
The Park City Chamber is a financial supporter of KPCW.
