The number of overnight visitors to the Historic Triangle picked up slightly through July this year when compared to last year, but tourism officials say there’s always room for more visitors in the area.
The Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance compiles a report using public information gathered from the three Historic Triangle localities to paint a picture of how overnight tourism in the area is doing. The report looks at the $2 tax paid by non-timeshare owners staying in timeshares and hotel guests, the average rate charged per room, room sales revenue, meals sales revenue and sales taxes.
For the Historic Triangle, 0.2 percent more guests stayed overnight in the area through July than in 2012, but those guests paid 0.4 percent less per room on average than last year. The area saw 900,957 room nights at an average rate of $113.70. The room rate is lower than last year’s and led to a 0.4 percent decrease in room sales revenue. Overall, the meal sales revenues decreased by 0.3 percent and sales tax collection — which usually lags behind the other numbers in reporting and is reflected through June in this report — increased by 2.7 percent.
“We would always like to see each of the months be better,” said Bob Harris, senior vice president of tourism for the Alliance. In speaking to hotel and timeshare owners, Harris said he heard overnight stays were strong around July 4 but lulled in the middle of the month. The National Softball Association World Series generated about 10,000 room nights at the end of July, which led Harris to expect to see a higher increase in the numbers.
“I was a little disappointed … that I didn’t see more of that for that month … but I was grateful at the end that we did have the groups that we had,” he said.
Looking at each locality, different areas experienced different increases and decreases.
James City County saw 13.6 percent more room nights — a total of 248,996 — booked than last year, while the rate decreased from $121.23 in 2012 to $103.29 this year. The room sales revenue decreased by 3.2 percent; meal sales revenue decreased 4 percent and sales tax collection increased 6.2 percent.
James City County benefits from having some of the larger timeshares in the area, Harris said. About 27 percent of total room nights in James City through July this year were transient timeshare visitors. Timeshare owners are not counted in this calculation, but visitors who book time in a timeshare because an owner can’t visit are counted. For the year in James City, timeshare visitors were up 23 percent and hotel visitors were up 9 percent; Harris said this number tends to teeter-totter year to year.
The City of Williamsburg saw decreases in room nights and room sales, but an increase in the rate charged. Room nights totaled 347,594, which is a decrease of 2.4 percent over last year. The average rate went up just over $2 to $107.71, but room sales revenue decreased 0.5 percent. Meals sales revenue also decreased 0.5 percent and sales tax collection decreased 0.4 percent.
Harris said losing the Hospitality House as a property for tourists to stay will affect Williamsburg’s numbers negatively.
York County saw a decrease in overnight stays, but an increase in the other categories. Overall, 304,367 room nights were booked, causing a 6 percent decrease. The average daily rate increased almost $10 to $129.07 and room sales revenue increased by 1.6 percent. Meals sales revenue increased by 4.1 percent and sales tax collection increased by 0.5 percent.
York County suffered from having properties closed for business or remodeling, Harris said. The 1776 Knights Inn and the Lexington George Washington Inn closed for business last year. A Days Inn on Bypass Road and a Days Inn near the former Pottery Entrance on Lightfoot Road closed for remodeling; one opened in July and the other in August.
“Not having properties like that be open during the busy summer months really does take a toll on the municipality,” Harris said.
Overall, Harris said it’s important to the Historic Triangle for the summer numbers to increase, because that’s a really important time for visitation. The Alliance has focused efforts on fall, pushing Arts Month, and on the November to December timeframe for Christmas, in order to increase overnight visitors to the area during different times of the year, but summer is the big generator.
“We would like to see these summer numbers grow again,” Harris said.
