A different kind of tourist is driving Whatcom County’s tourism rebound
As Whatcom County continues to inch back to a post-pandemic economy, one of the hardest-hit industries sees signs of recovery.
But, instead of visitors from all over the world, Seattle-area visitors and even locals are looking to Whatcom County for a nice weekend getaway and a first step to resuming leisure travel.
Local hotel occupancy rates are moving closer to pre-pandemic levels. According to data collected for Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism, Bellingham’s hotel occupancy rate was 55.6% in March, up from 34.5% in March 2020 when the pandemic first started taking hold.
Across all of Whatcom County including Bellingham, the hotel occupancy rate was 50.5% in March, up from 32% in March 2020. The national average hotel occupancy rate in recent pre-pandemic years was around 60%.
Whatcom’s hotel occupancy rate is on par with several nearby counties, including Skagit and Snohomish. King County continues to be hit hard, posting an occupancy rate of 38.5% in March 2021.
Home vacation rentals through options such as Airbnb have done relatively well during the pandemic. According to data collected for Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism, 72% of short-term rentals in Whatcom County were occupied in March; up from 53% in March 2020.
Heading into Memorial Day weekend and the summer tourism season, Whatcom County hotels are returning to a familiar pattern: High-end hotels are completely booked on the weekends, while overall occupancy rates are in the 70-80% range, said Sandy Ward, president/CEO of Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism.
It’ll take a couple of years to get back to 2019 in terms of tourism spending in Whatcom County, Ward said in an interview, but she’s hopeful that it is coming back, given news of Southwest Airlines showing interest in offering flights out of Bellingham International Airport.
Even without Southwest flights, Bellingham airport traffic is also starting to bounce back. According to data from the Port of Bellingham, 12,821 people took flights out of the airport in April, the highest one-month total since February 2020. The April airport traffic total is still well below pre-pandemic levels: In April 2019 the port estimates 28,149 people flew out of the airport.
Ward’s biggest concern is the rise in cases and hospitalizations in Whatcom County, which is currently in Phase 3 of the state’s Health Washington plan. If this area is forced to step back to Phase 2, it would be crippling to the industry, which includes restaurants and drinking establishments.
“We have to continue being responsible if we want to stay open this summer,” Ward said.
Weekend visits
One consistent trend this spring is Seattle-area residents coming up for a short getaway.
Christine Jenkins, director of marketing and sales at the Hotel Bellwether, said the majority of their bookings have been from the Seattle area. They’ve also seen a big increase from local residents seeking a staycation. Local reservations are now accounting for about 20% of the bookings at the waterfront hotel.
“Couples are booking for a getaway to unplug and refresh, have a break from the kids who have been at home with remote learning and escape from the everyday stresses of life — or at least put them on hold for a moment in time,” Jenkins said in an email.
One other trend is the rise in last-minute reservations, said Chris Caldwell, director of sales & marketing for The Chrysalis Inn & Spa. Many visitors are booking a week or two ahead rather than months ahead of time for the Fairhaven resort.
“I think that points to the uncertainty most feel about what will be allowed and what they are comfortable with at any given time,” Caldwell said.
The Chrysalis is busy overall as conditions improve. Caldwell said they had the best March since the inn opened 20 years ago. Memorial Day Weekend is nearly sold out, as are many summer weekends. She said having a restaurant and spa in one place with the rooms has made some travelers feel safer.
Restaurant sales at the Keenan’s at the Pier Restaurant for 2021 are up compared to the same period in 2019. Adjustments such as expanding the restaurant to serve all meals in the living room/terrace areas has helped offset the 50% capacity restrictions; it’s worked so well it may be a permanent change, Caldwell said in an email.
Summer events challenging
Scheduling summer events is still problematic. Big events like Ski to Sea, Lynden’s Farmer’s Day Parade and its Raspberry Festival have been pushed another year, but other events later in the summer are still being considered in the hopes that the pandemic cases drop as more people become vaccinated.
The Port of Bellingham and the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce are working on plans to have the July 4 fireworks but without the other festivities that draw large crowds.
Other typical tourist spots are taking steps toward somewhat normal schedules. The C Shop in Birch Bay is planning to open this month, while Birch Bay Waterslides is planning to open this summer but hasn’t announced an opening date.
The Hotel Bellwether is moving forward with its Blues, Brews and BBQ summer series starting July 1 through mid-September, but the details are still being worked out and will depend on what pandemic restrictions are in place at that time, Jenkins said.
Making those plans is difficult because of the ever-changing nature of the pandemic. Caldwell said with COVID-19 restrictions remaining so unpredictable, they are not currently planning any summer events. They did celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Chrysalis in April, but with very low-key giveaways.
Tourism job losses
Given the travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people employed in the tourism industry took a significant hit in the past year. In March, an estimated 8,100 people were employed in leisure/hospitality jobs in Whatcom County. That’s 2,600 fewer people than a year ago, more than 3.5 times the number of Intalco Works aluminum smelter jobs lost last year in Ferndale.
Tourism also plays an important role in terms of how much money is injected into the local economy. According to data collected for Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism, travel spending in Whatcom County totaled $555 million in 2019. Official numbers for 2020 haven’t been publicly released yet, but Ward said it was down significantly compared to 2019.
“It’ll take a while to get back to where we were, but I’m excited,” Ward said.
