JACKSON, Wyo. — Whatever semblance of “off-season” that still exists in Jackson Hole is coming to an end, suggests data from a sixty-day advanced occupancy rate projection, released by the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce.
The report projects daily total occupancy rates based on data from eighteen Jackson Hole properties that have shared the on-the-books reservations. The projections do not include last-minute bookings.
This upcoming weekend from Friday, May 14 through May 16, occupancy levels are expected to be over 50% for advanced booking. Last year during the same time, occupancy rates were below 10%.
Occupancy levels are expected to increase steadily throughout May and June, with on-the-books reservations above 60% beginning May 27. June advanced bookings peak at nearly 90% on June 24 and June 25. Last summer occupancy levels peaked for the month of June on the same days, but at only about 45%.
The entire month of June is already projecting between 60% and 90% occupancy rates whereas last June occupancy rates were between 10% and 45% for the entire month.
In April room revenue totaled $3,655,40 compared to pre-pandemic revenues totaling $903,842. A portion of this revenue increase can be attributed to average room rates increasing about 61% from April 2019 to April 2021. May room revenue is also projected to be well above pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated $9,329,054 compared to the May 2019 revenue of $5,111,124, with a 23% increase in the average room rate.
A 2% tax is added to all hotel, motel or visitation rental property in Teton County. The tax is known as the Lodging Tax and is spent by the Town of Jackson, Teton County and the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board. 30% of the funds are used to offset visitor impacts, 10% is added to the general fund, and 60% is used for promotional purposes for local tourism.
Kent Elliott, Director of Destination Global Sales for Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce called the forecasted occupancies in May “impressive.” In an overview of the latest lodging report, Elliot said, “Rooms booked last month in April 2021 compared to rooms booked during the same period in 2019 for all future arrival dates has changed by 88.7%, or 204% compared with April 2020, a continued indicator of pent-up demand to travel and arrangements are being made early.
