Summer time tourism in Erie County bounces back in spite of ongoing pandemic concerns
Summer time is not technically over, but the arrival of September has a ton of us taking inventory.
And for quite a few in the companies of tourism in Erie County, the opinions are glowing.
Holidaymakers have returned to Erie as business at regional lodges and other sights returned to anything near to ordinary.
The comparison to 2020 is stark, said John Oliver, president of VisitErie, Erie County’s tourism promotion agency.
Revenues from hotel taxes, which are gathered at the amount of 7%, were being up 47% by way of the to start with 7 months of 2021 as as opposed to the initial seven months of 2020, Oliver reported.
Compared to 2019 — which Oliver describes as a superior calendar year for tourism — resort tax revenues were being up 3.4%.
Nick Scott Jr., vice president of Erie-based mostly Scott Enterprises, which owns several inns, restaurants, Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park and Peek’n Peak Vacation resort in Findley Lake, New York, claimed enterprise was considerably enhanced at all of its companies.
“We saw a massive bounce-back this calendar year,” Scott reported. “They (folks) were being hungry to get out, they experienced cash in their pockets and they were being keen to shell out it.”
The only serious downside was a staffing shortage that prompted Scott Enterprises to near Splash Lagoon two days a week, he explained.
Waldameer Park and Water Environment seasoned staffing shortages of its very own, prompting administration to rotate rides and attractions that have been open at any a person time and to undertake a weekends-only routine a 7 days previously than common.
But Steve Gorman, president of the family-owned park, stated 2021 represented a large enhancement from 2020, when pandemic-related limitations retained the park closed right until July 3.
Relevant protection:Waldameer crowds fall limited of anticipations
“It was tremendously better than very last summer months, but even now not a regular calendar year,” Gorman claimed.
“We had much less team outings than we ordinarily have, these as faculty, church and reunion groups. They have been drastically down and our time passes ended up a minor little bit down below what they ought to have been.”
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On stability, though, wander-in website traffic was strong and the park was hectic.
“We have no issues,” Gorman claimed. “We observed a lot of persons who experienced hardly ever been to our park just before.”
The spread of COVID-19 remains a concern for several.
Linked coverage:Staffing troubles at Erie’s Waldameer Park prompt an early shift to weekends-only routine
These concerns might clarify why attendance at Presque Isle State Park — a location that gives outside activity and ample prospect for social distancing — topped 4.9 million in 2020 and stood at 3.6 million by means of Sept. 1.
The skill to be outside also appeared to draw prospects to Oliver’s Beer Yard, a Scott Enterprises house that opened on the bayfront in early August.
“It really is like the perfect pandemic locale,” Scott reported, referring to the combination of its food, outdoor locale, live new music and views of the bay.
“If you check out all people containers, you have a home run,” he said.
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At the Erie Zoo, ongoing worries about the coronavirus are nevertheless obvious with the ongoing closure of the primary zoo developing and other substantial-touch locations, explained Emily Smicker, promoting and occasions coordinator for the zoo.
But right after a difficult 2020 — a yr that noticed zoo visitation at only a third of its usual level — zoo lovers have returned in power.
“This summer has been a nice surprise, but we are a lot more or considerably less on par with in which we ended up at this time in 2019,” Smicker said. “That is truly encouraging. We have been pretty chaotic. We have even had a tricky time keeping our present store stocked.”
There are even now fears among the these who make a dwelling from the circulation of website visitors into Erie County. Gorman problems about locating the aid the park demands upcoming year. Scott is holding an eye on business vacation, which has been slow to rebound. And Oliver problems about irrespective of whether friends will have as much cash to commit next yr in the absence of stimulus checks and expanded unemployment payments.
But as the human being billed with advertising Erie County’s $1 billion tourism marketplace, he’s celebrating the success of the ppast a few months.
“It seems that we experienced a incredibly very good summer time,” Oliver stated. “I know when compared to my counterparts in Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, we have bounced again a lot quicker.”
Get hold of Jim Martin at 814-870-1668 or [email protected]. Adhere to him on Twitter @ETNMartin.
