(Rancho Mirage, CA) – The Visit Greater Palm Springs (VGPS) Board of Directors approved a resolution to oppose Measure A – a ballot measure in the City of La Quinta that would ban short-term vacation rentals in residential areas of the City, negatively impacting local small businesses and restaurants, reducing city funding that pays for things like police and fire services, and thereby negatively impacting the quality of life for residents.
According to a July 2022 report by Tourism Economics, if Measure A passes, the estimated impact on visitor spending and tax revenues in City of La Quinta after 10 years would be an annual loss $9.5 million in local tax revenue and $102 million in visitor spending. Vacation rental guests supported 779 jobs and spent nearly $143 million in the City of La Quinta in 2021. If Measure A passes, it would result in an estimated loss of 122,000 annual visitors to the city, a 55% decrease.
“The taxes visitors pay support essential city services that improve quality of life for residents, including police, fire fighters, public parks, and road improvements,” said Rolf Hoehn, Director of Business Development for Desert Champions and Chair of the VGPS Board of Directors. “Vacation rentals are an essential part of the lodging stock of the Coachella Valley and help attract more fans to the BNP Paribas Open and other events enjoyed by both residents and visitors alike.”
The City of La Quinta’s regulations and enforcement over the last year have resulted in a 70% reduction in the number of complaints about vacation rentals compared to the same period in 2021, according to quarterly reports on the City’s website.
“The elimination of short-term vacation rentals does not simply shift that demand into our hotels and resorts,” said Dermot Connolly, General Manager for the La Quinta Resort & Club and a member of the VGPS Board of Directors. “Voting “yes” on Measure A will be detrimental to Greater Palm Springs, pushing visitors to other competitive destinations as well as limiting our ability to support events such as such as the BNP Paribas Open, Stagecoach and Coachella, that our hotels and resorts alone cannot adequately accommodate.”
Hoehn continued: “Visit Greater Palm Springs Board of Directors joins the City of La Quinta in opposing Measure A for the negative impact it would have on the local economy; our local restaurants, shops, and events; and the quality of life for residents.”
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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.
