1 of 4
Yuma Sun
2 of 4
Yuma Sun
3 of 4
Yuma Sun
4 of 4
Yuma Sun
By Mara Knaub
Country Roads RV Park is bustling with activity. But it has nothing to do with horseshoe matches, dances, concerts and the dozen of activities offered to residents during the winter season.
The majority of residents will never know about the beehive of activity going on now. The pickleball courts are being reconstructed. The shuffleboard area is being redone. Hot tubs are being reconditioned. “Caution” tape and “Pardon Our Dust” signs are posted throughout the park.
It’s a scene being repeated across Yuma County. Now that winter visitors have headed back north, local RV parks are sprucing up the properties.
“Ninety-five percent of all work is done in the summertime. Winter visitors have no clue. Things are pretty when they leave and things are pretty when they get back,” noted Kristin Collings, who wears many hats at Country Roads: real estate agent, office manager, property manager and resident.
During the high season, the park was home to more than 2,600 residents and their guests. January, February and March were the peak months.
“The minute it hits 90, they’re gone,” Collings said.
In her view, the winter season was good. “I left like it was a busy year. It was always full,” Collings said.
She also fielded more requests for information than previous years, many of those from baby boomers.
“Ten thousand baby boomers are able to retire every day and they’re looking at their options,” she noted.
However, Country Roads seems to be the exception, as reports point to a decline in winter visitors this year. Although no one could say how many visitors came this year, the number seems to be less than last year’s peak of 83,000.
“I talked to a couple of park owners and they said overall (occupancy) was down a couple percent. Nothing drastic, two to three percent,” explained Ken Rosevear, executive director of the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce.
He asked one of the park owners if the drop indicated a trend. “He felt baby boomers are more mobile. They’re looking at different locations before selecting one and obviously Yuma would be high on the list.”
Rosevear doesn’t foresee much growth in the RV park industry in Yuma, noting that it seems to have reached its peak for now.
Nevertheless, many Canadians are still choosing Yuma. The chamber estimates about 30,000 Canadians came this past year.
“We had a lot of Canadians this year ... They’re one of the strongest visitors,” Rosevear said.
Ann Walker, media relations specialist at the Yuma Visitors Bureau, described the winter season as “average.”
“Not a great year, not a terrible year, an average year,” she said. “Some have said it was a great year. Others have said not so great.”
YVB began collecting occupancy figures for member RV parks this year. The overall rates for the peak months were January (83 percent) and February (84 percent). Overall occupancy dropped to 67 percent in March and 28 percent in April.
Lodging occupancy rates show a drop of 2.1 percent in January from last year, a slight jump of 1.1 percent for February and a decline of 5.7 percent for March, as reported by the Arizona Office of Tourism.
The 2 percent hospitality tax from the city’s hotels and restaurants also show a decrease, with collections down 1.4 percent so far in the last fiscal year, Walker noted.
She blames part of the downward trend on the federal government shutdown last fall.
“Sequestration really hurt. People don’t realize how much travel is tied to government … It took a while to rebound and return to normal,” Walker said, noting that travel connected to Yuma Proving Ground and Marine Corps Air Station came to a standstill.
The YVB’s Visitor Information Center is also seeing a drop in visitors. The total attendance for 2012-2013 was 70,963 with a monthly average of 5,924. Attendance this year through the end of April is 53,423 with a monthly average of 5,342.
“And it seems unlikely we will make up the difference (17,513) in the two months remaining,” Walker said.
Seasonal activity at the hospital is also a good indicator of how many winter visitors come to Yuma each year.
“Patient volumes at YRMC during this past winter were slightly lower than past years. While it was not a significant drop, the organization saw a small decline,” explained David Willie, chief financial officer at YRMC.
However, the hospital had about 15 percent more winter volunteers this year, with about 101 winter visitors this year compared to 89 last season, according to Elizabeth Hammonds YRMC volunteer services officer.
But whether the numbers were up or down, Rosevear pointed out the huge impact winter visitors have on Yuma County.
“Winter visitors play a big part in Yuma’s economy, and we want to continue welcoming them each year,” Rosevear said.
Mara Knaub can be reached at mknaub@yumasun.com or 928-539-6856. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSMaraKnaub.