Tourism Authority reports pandemic continues to affect visitor traffic
The January 2021 visitor count decreased by 80% compared with the first month of last year, according to figures recently released by the Love Catalina Island. The visitor count for January 2021 was also lower than the count for December 2020.
For example, 10,521 visitors were counted in the first month of this year, according to Love Catalina figures. The count for the last month of last year was 12,359.
That, according to the Islander’s calculators, is a 14.87% decrease.
However, the figures were affected by the pandemic. And the January 2020 visitor count was stronger than in past years.
“January 2021, reflected the ongoing impacts of COVID-19,” according to the organization’s website. (The Love Catalina Island—the local Chamber of Commerce—is also known as the Catalina Island Tourism Authority.)
“January’s total in-bound passengers = 10,521, down 80% from last year @ 52,691. January 2021 was below the three-year average of 37,197 by 71.7%. January was below the five-year average of 42,533 by 75.3% and the ten-year average of 41,841 by 74.9%,” according to Love Catalina.
“Holiday travel was greatly reduced due to travel restrictions and lack of available activities and attractions resulting from temporary closures,” according to the Love Catalina website.
“Under state and local mandates, Leisure travel was prohibited until late in January,” according to the website.
“It is important to note that January 2020 was a strong month vs. historical January counts,” according to the website.
The numbers were down for all four means of travel to the island: cross channel carriers, cruise ships (which won’t be returning to Catalina in the near future), private boats, private aircraft, and helicopter.
“Passengers arriving by sea, including private boaters, was 9,050 for the month of January, was down 82.1% from 50,700 last year,” according to Love Catalina.
Most of the boast passengers arrived by cross channel carriers.
“Cross Channel Carriers made up 70.9% of total monthly arrivals,” according to Love Catalina.
“January Cross Channel passenger counts were down 72.5% year-over-year @ 7,458 vs. 27,087 last year,” according to Love Catalina.
