Local retailers report strong tourist season
Spending in the greater Palm Springs area has spiked 10 percent over the past two years, according to a recent study by Tourism Economics on behalf of the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau.
With the unofficial end to tourist season in the Coachella Valley marked by the Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend, some retailers said business was strong.
“It’s been very good, very good. We plan to stay open all summer,” said Michael Jacobs of The Exchange of El Paseo.
“We had a great March and April. We had a lot of business, a lot of happy people,” said Susan Fauchier of Josie’s on El Paseo. “We had a lot of people coming from Chicago, Vancouver or Seattle.”
Candace Kenner and her daughter, Heidi, flew in from Calgary and did not let the triple-digit heat stop them from shopping.
“I just love this place, it’s great,” she said. “We used to come every year. Actually, we haven’t been back for a while, but we’re glad to be here.”
According to the study, they are not the only ones making the trek. The study said more than 1 million passengers came through Palm Springs International Airport in 2017, a 12 percent increase from 2015. International arrivals from Canada were said to account for an increasing share of that total.
However, it is not all out-of-area travelers who have been helping with the boost. The study found that more visitors came for the day rather than people who stayed overnight.
“We still have a lot of people that come out from Southern California,” said Faucier. “They have June gloom, you know? They don’t want to be in that cold, 58-degree weather.”
One of those people, Peggy Holt of Newport Beach, told KESQ News Channel 3’s and CBS Local 2’s Katie Widner that she travels to the desert every weekend.
“I manage to shop every time I come out here. But I do spend time golfing. It’s basically golfing, shopping and eating- and it’s great for all three,” she said.
Despite a rash of “sale” signs in store windows, or fewer hours businesses stay open, retailers like Faucier said it is all a part of the bigger plan and not necessarile because the store is struggling.
“What we do is try to get rid of some inventory, so we take 25 percent off starting on Cinco de Mayo. We just make sure that we’re not too crazy and cut our hours down a little bit,” Faucier said. “We’re still looking forward to some summer fun with the pool parties and things like that.”
Jacobs said it is people like Holt who keep their doors open.
“Many of the stores are closing, but we think that if more stores stayed open, it would be better for the street,” he said. “We plan to stay open all summer so that when people come into town they have a positive shopping experience on the street.”
The study also found that one out of four jobs is sustained by the tourist industry.
