(Okoboji)– We’re learning some new detailed numbers when it comes to tourism this past summer in the Iowa Great Lakes. Rebecca Peters of Okoboji Tourism says they’re utilizing new tools to gauge where visitors to the area are coming from. She says they’re basing that data on traffic to VacationOkoboji.com, social media platforms and even pings from cell phones as they travel into the area from 50 miles or greater…
Peters says they’re also now able to gather more information from vacation rentals in the area…
Data in an annual report from Okoboji Tourism shows hotel occupancy in the lakes area for 2021 is running about 45 percent, compared with 38 percent in 2020. Vacation rentals in the area were at 57 percent for an entire place, up from 40 percent in 2020. Private room vacation rental occupancy was 13 percent, down from 34 percent in 2020.
The numbers also translate to considerably higher revenue for lodging establishments, which is also reflected in a considerable increase in hotel-motel tax revenue.
