The Guardian
‘Why aren’t they at home?’: Lake Tahoe struggles to keep winter tourists away
The popular ski destination tried to close amid Covid’s California surge. But tourists kept coming. Rhonda Keen understands why Lake Tahoe attracts so many people. There is the lake itself – miles of beach along the cobalt blue water – skiing and snowboarding in Sierra Nevada and the charms of small mountain towns. December is usually one of the busiest months for tourists, but this winter California’s new blockade order was supposed to end it all. Local authorities asked visitors to respect the containment measures, which recommended people to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel. However, much to the surprise of Keen and other residents, tourists continued to arrive. They are booking vacation rentals, pouring into local grocery stores and falling down the slopes. “Who are these people? Why aren’t they at home? Keen recently wondered as he sat in traffic on the way to South Lake Tahoe, a town on the lower shore of the lake. The California home order came during the state’s darkest pandemic period, with cases skyrocketing and hospitals overloaded. El Dorado County, where part of Lake Tahoe is located, is reporting hundreds of new cases per week. But Tahoe’s loose inspection and unique location have complicated efforts to keep visitors at bay. The lake spans California and Nevada; and the Nevada side is open to tourists and has far fewer restrictions. Vacation homes and Airbnbs across the region continue to welcome guests, while ski resorts, exempt from closing by California order, also continue to operate. The reality has left the region dependent on tourism trapped between “Covid and a difficult place,” said Scott Robbins, a former city council candidate and remote worker. Companies are struggling and need as much tourism as they can to stay afloat. However, many are also wondering how to stay safe and prevent an outbreak that can overwhelm local hospitals. The home order is expected to expire soon, and residents do not know how to protect the community. “It almost doesn’t matter what we do,” said Keen. “We have so many people coming from abroad… we need these tourists so that we can all have jobs and pay rent, but with tourists comes the risk. All you can do is try to mitigate it. ”Lake Tahoe has long been a destination in the Golden State, with an economy largely centered on tourism. Under the first blockade in the spring, with closed ski resorts and Nevada under similar restrictions, the area was a ghost town, said Chris Fiore, communications manager for South Lake Tahoe. But after the months-long blockade, holiday-hungry visitors flooded the region during the summer, creating traffic, garbage problems and crowds that some residents described as similar to the 4th of July throughout the season. “The summer season was like spring break on the beaches. We went to the beach once and had to hide in tree-line masks, ”said Chelsea Altman, who moved to her family’s home in the area in March. “People don’t care.” Altman had to leave her home in Los Angeles and since arriving in Tahoe has avoided public spaces almost entirely because she has an immune system disorder that makes her more susceptible to infections. Although this month was not as hectic as the summer, new families are switching to seasonal rentals every week, supermarkets are more crowded than normal and the order does not exist, residents report. South Lake Tahoe is filing complaints, Fiore said, but is unable to knock on every door in the city. “We have seen people coming to the city who are unlikely to live here. We cannot put a gate at the Echo Summit and check the IDs as people enter, ”said Fiore. “If people come, the best thing we can do is to educate them on how to keep people safe.” The El Dorado sheriff’s office said it would focus on education, rather than enforcing the home order. Heavenly Village, a shopping and entertainment center, encouraged people to come to the area on vacation and said, “Currently, there are no fines, fees or inspection assessments for trips to South Lake Tahoe or Nevada properties.” frustrating for residents like Keen, a realtor whose husband is the first to respond and recently had Covid-19. “I know [tourism] it is a big part of the vital force of this city. It’s a big part of my business personally, but at the same time, I don’t want to get sick. I don’t want my friends and family to get sick, ”she said. Robbins, the former city council candidate, was one of the first documented cases of Covid-19 in the region and is still suffering from long-term symptoms. He says he is also frustrated by the lack of oversight and significant support for local businesses. “When the strike first occurred, stimulus checks and unemployment made it possible for them to be unemployed without having to put food on the table. We need to be at a standstill, but there is no help coming, “he said. Despite continued tourism, local companies say they are struggling and seeing far fewer customers than they normally would.” Now that we’re not doing outdoor seating, it’s making it more difficult, ”said Kyle McQueen, the general manager of Sonney’s BBQ Shack Bar & Grill, located in South Lake Tahoe’s Y neighborhood, two miles from the water. “I probably fired 85% of my people. We can barely keep our doors open. ”“ Where we are is a tourist destination. They do our business, ”he added. “Not having them here is probably hurting us more than helping us.” Aaron Abrams, the owner of Free Bird, a cafe that serves homemade chai and organic smoothies, has dismissed almost all of its employees, as well as waiters and bartenders all over the city without a job, the locals’ businesses have also declined. “I am concerned about people’s health and public safety,” said Abrams. “But when it comes to business, it is difficult to move on. It is taking its toll. ”The city of South Lake Tahoe is trying to support companies, said Fiore, and recently approved a delivery refund program, setting aside $ 100,000 for restaurants to buy containers and other items to take meals. But, added Fiore, the order to stay at home is an important part of Tahoe’s reopening. “The more we follow those orders, the sooner we can return to Lake South Tahoe that we know and love.” Robbins sees continued tourism and struggling businesses as a local and national failure. “Our small town cannot print money,” said Robbins. “Without help from the federal government, really significant help, people will continue to need to serve the tourism industry. We will see more diseases, the hospital will become increasingly crowded and service providers will be more injured ”.