Catalina Island had a good December—visitor counts were 28.4 percent higher in December 2013 than in 2012, according to figures released this week by the Chamber of Commerce.
Credit goes to the weather, according to Wayne Griffin, Chamber president and CEO.
Cross channel carrier traffic increased 17.1 percent during the same period. Cruise ship visitor counts in December 2013 were up 65.6 percent over December 2012.
Catalina Island had a good December—visitor counts were 28.4 percent higher in December 2013 than in 2012, according to figures released this week by the Chamber of Commerce.
Credit goes to the weather, according to Wayne Griffin, Chamber president and CEO.
Cross channel carrier traffic increased 17.1 percent during the same period. Cruise ship visitor counts in December 2013 were up 65.6 percent over December 2012.
The numbers for 2013 overall were also good, as there were 5.3 percent more visitors to Catalina last year than in 2012.
Griffin had a simple explanation for the large increase in cruise ship visitors.
Griffin said that Carnival Cruises had a ship in dry dock the previous year.
“This is the second biggest December since we’ve been keeping records, Griffins said.
“Just as importantly, this is the fourth year in a row cross channel counts have been up over the previous year and the third year in a row that visitor counts have been up over the previous year,” Griffin said.
He said he was sure that the weather was the primary cause for the December 2013 visitor count. Basically, visitors came because the weather was good and because there was no snow.
“Our customers also go skiing,” Griffin said.
He said that when there is snow in the mountains, Catalina suffers.
“Everything else is working, but we just had phenominal weather,” Griffin said.
