The North Lake Tahoe destination has welcomed visitors from around the globe for generations and as such, over 60% of jobs in North Lake Tahoe are within leisure industries. The business community is feeling acute impacts of COVID-19 and given state directives from both Nevada and California Governors’ to stay home, and shutter non-essential businesses, large scale events have been canceled and the majority of ski resorts are closed.
For the safety of residents, the North Lake Tahoe destination is asking visitors to refine travel plans and come again when travel is safe and viable. While social distancing practices are evident in our outdoor communities, the reality of an influx of visitors to the region will severely impact the small but mighty health care system, front-line service workers, and the overall inventory of necessary supplies.
“The impacts of this pandemic will be far-reaching for months to come,” explained Jeffrey Hentz, CEO of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association. “To support local businesses reliant on tourism, we are asking people who hold North Lake Tahoe close to their hearts to consider making donations, purchase gift cards or go to online e-commerce sites, and write words of encouragement on small business social pages. Equally important is that you not cancel your trip completely, but rather postpone to a time when travel is viable again.”
“The region relies on multiple sources of visitor traffic including conference and group sales, special events, and visitors who enjoy an abundance of natural resources,” stated Andy Chapman, President and CEO of the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau. “Not encouraging travel is an extremely difficult message to send but for the safety of those who live and work in North Lake Tahoe, it is the responsible request to put forth. By working together and adhering to shelter in place policies, we will move past this health crisis and visitors can once again enjoy all the Sierra has to offer.”
The destination will continue to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak with guidance from Placer County Public Health, Washoe County Health District and state officials, along with tourism industry partners including Visit California, Travel Nevada and U.S. Travel to ensure the most accurate and timely information is provided to visitors on this topic.
North Lake Tahoe will welcome visitors back with the same open arms we’ve always had – but for now, for the safety of our residents, please stay home. We encourage you to enjoy our destination from afar – plan a future trip using resources on our website, enjoy Lake Tahoe’s tranquility through our social pages @TahoeNorth and we’ll see you when this is all over.
