Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Holiday business down, but still plenty of cheer

Snowstorms should help remainder of season


By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

Downtown Ketchum was filled with heavy traffic on Monday following Christmas weekend. Over 2 feet of new snow has fallen since Christmas Eve, which could bode well for increased tourism throughout the remainder of the season. Photo by Willy Cook

     With the economy in rough shape, Sun Valley Co. spokesman Jack Sibbach said business at the resort over the Christmas holiday is about what he expected it might be. His perception matches that of other tourism-based businesses around the Ketchum-SunValley area over the last few days.

     Sibbach said that occupancy rate at Sun Valley was “in the high 90s,” compared to last year, when accommodation at the resort was completely sold out for the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

     “There’s no doubt that we’re going to have a down year,” Sibbach said. “But with all of this snow at the beginning of the season, it definitely helps a lot.” Almost two feet of snow has fallen since Christmas Eve.

     According to Sibbach, many guests will book spring ski vacations at Christmastime, especially if there is good snowfall.

     Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Carol Waller reiterated the importance of the recent snowstorms that have blanketed the WoodRiverValley and, more importantly, the ski runs on BaldMountain.

     “We’re trying very hard to get the word out about the great snow we’ve received,” Waller said Monday. “It’s a real bright spot for us.”

     To do that, Waller said, the chamber is sending out information through its extensive e-mail database, which has thousands of recipients.

     Despite the Christmas snow, Waller said business was off compared to last year. She said that as of Monday, 10 businesses, including retail, restaurants and lodging, had responded to a chamber survey about the holiday weekend. Seven reported a decrease, one an increase and two said they were even with Christmas 2007.

     “We don’t have exact figures from businesses yet, but we’re always busy over the holidays,” Waller said. “But we’ll likely be down because of the economy. We’ll have a better idea of how we did after New Year’s.”

     A number of area retailers confirmed Waller’s assumption, noting that there were plenty of people in the shops, though perhaps not as many as in previous years.

     “It was definitely busier overall last year,” said Trevor Thomas, a cook at Lefty’s Bar & Grill in Ketchum. “But when it was busy, it was just as packed.”

     Rich Allen, owner of F-Stop Camera & Video on Sun Valley Road, said business on Christmas Eve day matched last year, but that business had become difficult with the sharp downturn in the economy. Along with fewer tourists, Allen is also facing the challenge of an increasing popularity in digital photography, which decreases the demand for printing services.

     Like Allen, Nicola Potts, owner of the nearby Coffee Grinder, said that while the holidays have resulted in steady revenue streams, the concern is about what will happen come January.

     “I think we really need to make a push to get more people here from areas within driving distance,” Potts said.

     Potts said that could be helped with a marketing push in cities like Boise, Salt Lake City and Twin Falls, perhaps with special packages targeting these potential guests.

     With more snow forecast, a tempered optimism continues, though Sun Valley Co.’s Sibbach noted that regardless of what the economy is doing, heavy snowfall can be a double-edged sword, given the frequency with which flights are diverted from Hailey’s FriedmanMemorialAirport during inclement weather.

     “You need the snow to attract people, but then people have trouble getting here,” he said.




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