Havasu tourism officials, businesses expect Memorial Day surge

According to Lake Havasu City records, the city collected about $3.7 million in bed tax revenue in May of 2022, compared to about $3.4 million a year earlier. Records show that overall sales tax revenue increased by 8.5% in May 2022 compared to a year earlier, and tax revenue from bar and restaurant sales increased by about 3.2%.

“May 2022 was one of our strongest months for tourism tax revenue, and Memorial Day was a huge part of that,” Concannon said. “It’ll be hard to surpass last year’s revenue. We expect a very robust tourism profile on Memorial Day weekend, and we expect the revenue numbers to be similar.”

Stay awhile

According to city records, bed tax revenues from Havasu hotels fell by about 1.1% between May 2021 and 2022, from about $254,000 to $251,256. But this year, hospitality officials are expecting a busy weekend.

Lake Havasu Hospitality Association President Regan Ross-Robertson said this week that Havasu’s hotel industry was looking forward to the start of the summer season.

“I’ve heard from a few of our resort partners, and it looks like they’re going to be booked,” Robertson said. “Things were pretty consistent in 2021 and 2022, and I don’t think this year will look different as far as bed, restaurant and bar taxes go. We’re looking forward to a strong weekend. People should get on the lake early, and enjoy the beautiful weather.”

The London Bridge Resort’s Director of Resort Services, Matt Brewster, remains cautiously optimistic.

“It’s always a big weekend,” Brewster said. “We have a lot of out-of-towners, boaters and families - It’s going to be a very busy weekend. We’re already booked up. We need more staff, but so does everyone else. We’re expecting to be full by the weekend.”

Rev your engines

Campbell Cove 1-Stop, at 1521 Industrial Boulevard, has long been a popular stop for holiday boaters in need of fuel and food on their way to Lake Havasu State Park. On Wednesday, Manager Jean Dwyer was excited for the weekend’s crowds.

“It’s one of my favorite weekends of the year,” Dwyer said. “I love it. It’s the kickoff to the summer.”

According to Dwyer, Memorial Day weekend, the Fourth of July and Labor Day remain the shop’s busiest weekends as boaters and outdoor recreation enthusiasts visit the city as well as Lake Havasu State Park.

“We have our regulars … even the out-of-towners are among our regulars, and come for every big weekend,” Dwyer said. “We’re the last stop before the launch ramps. We have a little bit of everything.“

Ready to launch

Havasu remains home to the most-visited park in the Arizona State Parks system - And according to Park Manager Dan Roddy, Memorial Day is the venue’s busiest weekend of the year.

“We welcomed over 70,000 visitors over the four days of Memorial Day weekend last year, and we’d like to see that again,” Roddy said. “We’re the only Arizona State Park that draws more than half a million visitors a year, and we’re still going to reach that milestone again this year. These next six weeks are a big part of that.”

According to Roddy, local watercraft rental businesses have more available inventory than usual this time of year. And although inflation - As well as the rising price of gasoline - may be factors in visitors’ decision to visit Lake Havasu State Park this year, Roddy says the park’s staff is prepared for the same number of guests as last year.

“We’re hopeful we’ll see those large crowds, but it might not be as robust as it’s been for the past few years,” Roddy said.

According to Roddy, camping spots and cabins at the park are already booked throughout this Memorial Day weekend. And however many visitors may arrive at the park this year, Roddy is still expecting traffic throughout the holiday.

“Our crews have been working all last week and this week, with an eye on being prepared come Friday morning,” Roddy said. “We’re here, and we’ll be here throughout the whole weekend.”