Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Summer tourism numbers climb

Chamber reports rise in LOT, hotel occupancy


By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

Tourism-driven business was up last summer in Ketchum, bringing hope that commerce during the upcoming winter ski season will surge above previous years.

That was the message delivered Monday, Nov. 15, as Carol Waller, executive director of the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau, issued a report to the Ketchum City Council on commercial activity during the final quarter of the organization's 2003-2004 fiscal year.

The report—which covered the months of July, August and September—indicated that tourism-related spending and hotel occupancy in Ketchum were both up over the same three-month period in 2003.

"We've seen growth in every sector," Waller said.

During the period—which is one of the most important times of the calendar year for area businesses—local option tax revenues in Ketchum were up 6 percent, Waller said. Revenues from LOTs levied on retail sales, liquor sales and hotel rooms were up 6 percent collectively for the entire 2003-2004 fiscal year, she noted.

In the end, the city of Ketchum collected approximately $1.8 million in LOT revenues during the last fiscal year, which ran from October 2003 through September 2004.

The Chamber has estimated that tourism is responsible for approximately 70 percent of LOT revenues in Ketchum.

Lodging occupancies averaged 66 percent during the fourth quarter, up from 62 percent during the same period in 2003. Hotel occupancies were also up for the entire fiscal year, averaging 61 percent, compared to 57 percent during the 2002-2003 fiscal year.

Sales figures were also up in Sun Valley, where LOT revenues were up 1 percent for the final quarter and 3 percent for the entire fiscal year.

Waller said the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber has implemented an aggressive marketing campaign for the winter season, including the distribution of a full-color, 32-page brochure.




 Local Weather 
Search archives:


Copyright © 2024 Express Publishing Inc.   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.