South Lake Tahoe businesses report strong holiday tourism turnout

Businesses on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore had good things to say about the recent spike in tourism spanning from Christmas to New Year’s Day.

“We saw an increase in room sales of 24 percent over the 12 busiest days,” said Shannon McIsaac, director of sales at Hard Rock Casino Lake Tahoe.

“Gaming also saw an increase over the previous year. The guitar plaza was packed with guests dancing to our DJs. Attendance grew over last year and we had very happy guests out there.”

Across the street at MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa, director of marketing and entertainment Marimille Dacia reported a 15 percent spike in bookings over last year for the week leading up to New Year’s Eve.

Similarly, Lakeland Village general manager Jerry Bindel saw “higher rates and more sellout dates than last year.”

And with the visitors came the traffic.

Though official numbers for those who took advantage of the free rides offered over the holidays by Tahoe Transportation District won’t be out for another week, all indications show a “successful holiday season,” said district manager Carl Hasty.

“We experienced the traffic, the weather and a lot of visitors,” added Hasty.

Furthermore, the recent storms allowed local ski resorts like Sierra-at-Tahoe to open more terrain — a boon for business, said spokeswoman Thea Hardy.

“We definitely saw a ton of visitors. The storm just before the holiday really helped out with us opening more terrain and accommodating more guests,” said Hardy.

In short, it was a good holiday season indeed.