LAKE COUNTY – Those in the recreation and hospitality business report a decrease from a year ago in tourism in Lake County at the beginning of this summer season.
But they also say more and more people are staying closer to home when they take a vacation. High gas prices mean tourists from Sacramento and the Bay Area may head here instead of distant destinations.
“Our closeness to two major markets bodes well for a good summer. I think we”re certainly looking like summer 2008 is going to be very strong,” Greg Bennett said, manager of Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa.
“People are taking shorter trips,” Rakesh Vallabh said, manager of Anchorage Inn in Lakeport. “They seem to be squeezing together in rooms and staying fewer days. I”ve seen about a 15 percent drop in reservations from last year. More people are coming from San Francisco, and there are a lot less boats in the lake ? it”s too expensive to run them.”
Bass fishing guides report business is steady, although tournament participation is down.
“It”s always been that there are people who compete who are right on the edge of having enough money to do it ? they are getting a little more selective. But for the most part, people who fish tournaments will do it whatever the price is,” Ross England said, a bass fisherman and owner of Clear Lake Guide Service.
Bass guides and tackle shop owners say business is strong because Clear Lake received so much coverage during last year”s ESPN Bassmasters classic. And as a top-rated fishery, Clear Lake is the first stop from the Bay Area, ahead of other Northern California top bass lakes such as Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake.
Chris Robbins, Events Coordinator with the Oroville Area Chamber of Commerce said “right now for us some of the issues are low water” in Lake Oroville, so the chamber is trying to direct tourists to other bass-holding bodies of water in the Oroville dam system.
City of Lakeport Finance Director Janet Tavernier said it”s significant that last year between January and March, the city”s transit occupancy tax brought in $20,448. But this year, even without the ESPN event, there was less than a $2,000 difference in tax revenues ? $18,847 was collected during the same period.
City of Clearlake Administrator Dale Neiman said he thinks the gas prices are “benefiting Lake County because the Bay Area is very close.” And sales tax revenues during the past six months met the projections made a year ago ? there”s been a three percent increase.
“When the economy is bad, tourism increases more, because people travel closer to home,” Neiman said.
England said a new trend this year for his five-year-old bass guide business is he”s seeing more families and couples signing up.
“That”s not normal for me, because I do a lot of full-day trips. My guys tend to be the hard cores. I think what I”ve ended up with is more people have asked if a girlfriend or wife can come along, which is a sign it”s not the guy getting away ? that”s the couple or the family getting away,” England said.
To the observations of bass fishing guide Richard Pounds, the number of boats on the lake have decreased since prices soared above $4.
“The gas prices have slowed up the traffic on the lake here in the last few weeks, but my business has been real great. I”m booked two months ahead,” Pounds said.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com.
