Short-Term Vacation Rentals Accounted for a Significant Share of 2020 Tourism

 

Rancho Mirage, CA - Short-term vacation rentals (STVR) accounted for nearly 16% of all visitor spending in Greater Palm Springs in 2020. The report, released by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, found total STVR visitor spending was $564 million, with a total economic impact of $700 million. The study was commissioned by Visit Greater Palm Springs to better understand how STVRs support the local community.

 

“The report highlights the tremendously beneficial impact that short-term vacation rentals have on Greater Palm Springs,’’ said Scott White, President & CEO of Visit Greater Palm Springs. “The visitors who stay in short-term rentals support our local restaurants, retailers, and small businesses. Without these visitors, every Coachella Valley household would pay more in state and local taxes.”

 

2020 Key Findings:

  • Approximately 1 million visitors who stayed in short-term vacation rentals accounted for more than 27% of overnight volume. Total visitation in 2020 was 8.3 million.
  • Annual STVR visitor spending totaled $564 million, or an average of $1.5 million per day in the community. This supported a total of $700 million in annual business sales when indirect and induced impacts are considered.
  • STVRs generated $91 million in state and local taxes. This would cover the average salaries for 700 police officers in the Coachella Valley.
  • A total of 4,200 jobs were sustained by STVR visitors to the Coachella Valley, generating $103 million in income for workers in the region.
  • State and local taxes generated by STVRs saves each household an average of $590.

 

“This report makes it very clear that short-term vacation rentals play a crucial role in supporting our local community,” continued White. “It is vital that all Coachella Valley cities work with STVR operators and residents to protect this incredibly important overnight option for visitors.”

 

Read the full report at https://www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/partnerportal/research-reports/.

 

# # #

About Tourism Economics

Tourism Economics is an Oxford Economics company with a singular objective: combine an understanding of the travel sector with proven economic tools to answer the most important questions facing its clients. More than 500 companies, associations, and destinations work with Tourism Economics every year as a research partner. Tourism Economics brings decades of experience to every engagement to help its clients make better marketing, investment, and policy decisions.

 

About Visit Greater Palm Springs
Visit Greater Palm Springs (Visit GPS) is the official destination marketing organization for the nine-city Southern California oasis of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, and Coachella. Founded in 1989 with a mission to positively affect the destination’s $7.5 billion tourism economy and quality of life for its residents, Visit GPS provides sales, marketing and PR, and destination development activities to grow visitation from potential leisure travelers and event, meeting, and convention group markets. www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com

 

 

Media Contact:

Joyce Kiehl
Director of Communications
760.969.1338
joyce@visitgreaterps.com