Photo by Tripp Fay
This time last year looked very different. Fourth of July parades were canceled, social distancing and masks were in full effect and some towns went as far as not planning any celebrations at all.
The limited celebrations and travel restrictions made for an unconventional summer in Summit County, but this year paints a very different picture as about 74% of Summit County’s population is fully vaccinated and 82% have received at least one dose, according to Summit County’s website
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The reopening of the community earlier this spring gave the local lodging industry more time to prepare for the hordes of visitors expected this summer, Toby Babich, president of the Breckenridge Lodging Association reported.
Photo by Tripp Fay
Spring break meant high occupancy levels for the Breckenridge lodging industry this year, with bookings up 6% over the period compared to 2019. While private security was hired by Breckenridge to enforce public health orders, lodging companies didn’t report trouble when it came to visitors respecting town, county and state rules.
Bill Wishowski, director of operations at the Breckenridge Tourism Office, reported in an email that average occupancy in town reached 78% between March 6 and April 3, with a peak of 89% on March 18. During the peak spring break week from March 12 to March 20, average occupancy was at 85%.
Breckenridge placed private security guards on Main Street from mid-March through the beginning of April to enforce public health orders and town ordinances, including mask-wearing in the town’s mandatory mask zone. The idea was to support front-line workers from visitors who may be disgruntled over local COVID-19 restrictions.
Photo by Liz Copan / Studio Copan
January, which is typically one of Summit County’s biggest tourism months, was tough on the lodging industry with occupancy down year over year and staffing difficulties. The upside is that room nights reserved in January were up, according to DestiMetrics data for Breckenridge, and so far, room nights are up year over year for the spring break period.
Breckenridge Tourism Office spokesperson Austyn Dineen wrote in an email that the DestiMetrics data released Jan. 31 shows Breckenridge’s January occupancy was down 13% in 2021 compared with the same month in 2020. However, room nights that were reserved in January, which have an arrival date between Jan. 1 and April 30, were up about 23%.
Photo by Libby Stanford /estanford@summitdaily.com
Summit County’s move to level orange on the state’s COVID-19 dial means fewer restrictions for short-term lodging businesses, but some in the industry are still struggling to fill reservations.
While the county was in level red, gatherings were limited to one household. In level orange, gatherings are able to include up to two households or 10 people. The change in gathering size impacts short-term lodging facilities as well, allowing more than one household to stay together in the same location.
Still, interest has not increased much since the move to level orange on Monday, Jan. 4, according to Toby Babich, president of the Breckenridge Lodging Association.
As cancellations due to lodging restrictions increase, some visitors are struggling to secure refunds for trips booked before restrictions were in place. Tim Osborn, who lives in Louisiana, planned to visit Breckenridge over the holidays.