More people are booking hotel stays in Wasatch County, according to Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dallin Koecher.
“We have more hotel rooms in [the] Heber Valley now than ever before, with East Village coming online,” he said on KPCW's "Local News Hour" Nov. 12.
He said although the occupancy rate – the percentage of hotel rooms being used at a time – is relatively flat, it doesn’t reflect the rising number of rooms available.
“Fifty percent of 1,000 is 500; 50% of 1,500 is 750,” he said. “So we are seeing an overall increase of rooms into the Heber Valley.”
He said the summer tourism season saw healthy visitation numbers and strong restaurant tax revenue. However, transient room tax revenue remained stable, which made for what Koecher called a “pretty average” summer overall.
Koecher said he’s optimistic the East Village expansion will continue to drive growth for Heber Valley tourism, especially in winter months.
“As winter’s coming along, we’ll have things for people to do after they come off the slopes from Deer Valley East Village,” he said. “Come on down to Heber Valley, get a meal, see some cool shops, have some entertainment and enjoy the night.”
The chamber maintains a calendar of upcoming events around Wasatch County. For details, visit the chamber website.
Heber Valley Tourism and Economic Development is a financial supporter of KPCW.
