A recent article in Vogue mentions Park City as a top-trending Airbnb destination. KPCW spoke with the Park City Chamber Bureau to find out what this could mean for a winter season in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Park City business community is in a tough spot. The global COVID-19 pandemic has stifled visitors and revenues are significantly down compared to pre-pandemic levels. With the pandemic getting worse over the last month and the winter tourist season fast approaching, local business owners are looking for some good news.
Park City was named a top-trending Airbnb destination in a recent article in Vogue magazine along with other outdoor-focused destinations like Truckee, California and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The report says Airbnb has found people are searching for getaways close to nature and a short trip from home with air travel limited and more people able to work remotely during the pandemic.
Jennifer Wesselhoff is the new CEO of the Park City Chamber Bureau and says the report is encouraging news for Park City. She says Vogue readers are regular targets for the bureau’s advertising and Park City offers a lot of what people are looking for in a vacation during the pandemic.
“I was pleased seeing the report from Vogue,” she says. “Vogue is really such a great demographic for potential visitors to Park City. I was pleased to see it. I think it bodes well for our winter, but I also think that, you know, Park City offered a lot in terms of what Americans and potential travelers are looking for right now, you know, with the era of social distancing and open spaces so the results really aren’t a complete surprise.
Although summer visitation was significantly impacted by the pandemic, the actual numbers outperformed many of the early projections. According to a report given to the Historic Park City Alliance last week, visitation was initially down almost 50%, but improved month over month as the summer progressed.
Winter projections, on the other hand, are all over the map. Some models say a 50% decline should be expected. Wesselhoff says she’s seeing numbers anywhere from a 20-40% reduction in visitors this winter. She says Park City will be relying heavily on domestic visitors within driving distance -- precisely the kind Airbnb says will be traveling this winter.
“We know that there’s going to be a significant reduction in the visitation to Park City, especially with limitations on international travel,” Wesselhoff says. “International travelers generally represent our longest length stays, so we’re truly counting on the domestic visitors and maybe a little bit of Mexican and Canadian travelers to take the place of some of these overseas visitor stays, but, certainly, we will welcome any visitor to Park City, whether they’re a part-time resident or even a short-term renter.”
Just how many visitors come, is anyone’s guess with how much the COVID-19 situation has changed in the last few weeks. One trend that has been measured, however, is that people who do visit tend to stay for longer periods of time and, interestingly, start to behave more like locals.
What does it mean to behave like a local? For starters, it means eating out less. Wesselhoff says this could be cause for concern, but anyone who is from out of town and staying for an extended period of time is likely to spend money somewhere in Park City.
“I think it’s safe to say that folks who may be staying in short-term rentals perhaps don’t eat out as much, but we certainly do appreciate our guests who stay longer and spend more time with us,” says Wesselhoff. “In fact, it’s really part of our goal getting people to stay longer and spend more. I think even now, more so than ever, it’s about quality over quantity.”
Park City collects millions of dollars each year through sales tax and a 1% lodging tax, called the Transient Room Tax, which is collected on any stay shorter than 30 days. This tax is collected on Airbnb and VRBO bookings, as well as hotel rooms.
The city is trying to crack down on non-registered short-term rentals that skirt the taxes, but Wesselhoff says she thinks, ultimately, people will be looking for above-board bookings that follow state and local health guidelines.
“We are seeing the TRT tax come in, it’s higher than what we thought it was going to be for summer, which is certainly positive, but I think the really important thing to remember is that visitors and even part-time residents are really seeking out locations that are compliant with health department recommendations and protocols and really keeping safety first is a top priority,” she says. “Visitors are looking for that when they make travel decisions.”
With Park City Mountain Resort scheduled to open for the winter on November 20th and Deer Valley on December 5th, local businesses will know soon whether or not the pre-winter hype delivers the number of visitors the local economy will need to survive.
