Lodging Boom Continues in June

The lodging industry continued to experience record growth in June. According to the latest report from the Door County Tourism Zone Commission, room-tax collections were up 43% over June of 2019, or $292,237. 

For the first six months of 2021, total collections are up 54% over 2019. Through May, the county was up 69%. That number will continue to come down through the summer, as there is less room for growth during the always-busy months of July and August, when countywide occupancy typically exceeds 74%.

The county filled 13,849 more room nights in June of this year than in June of 2019, with an average daily rate reaching $202, compared to $169 in 2019. June’s overall occupancy rose from 53% to 67%. The increases are much greater when compared to 2020, when many establishments were not yet operating at full capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Collections for the year through June are already up $689,400 over 2019. 

Not surprisingly, the biggest growth was seen in Sister Bay, thanks to the addition of the Dörr Hotel, which opened in late May. That helped boost room nights filling in the village from 8,825 in June of 2019 to 11,635 in June of 2021. Sister Bay collections were up $47,753 for the month – by far the largest increase of any municipality. Sturgeon Bay was up $32,012, Gibraltar $31,863, and Ephraim $29,868. 

Occupancy skyrocketed in June, with several municipalities recording jumps of more than 10% over 2019. The Village of Egg Harbor led the way with 78.4% of available room nights filled, followed by Ephraim (75.6%), Sister Bay (74.2%), Gibraltar (71.9%) and Baileys Harbor (69.3%). 

Occupancy in the City of Sturgeon Bay jumped from 50.8% in 2019 to 61.3% in 2021. Though the occupancy rate trailed many other communities, the city filled 13,393 room nights, the most of any community, but at an average daily rate of $128 – the lowest average rate of any of the 19 municipalities in the zone.

Despite the record growth in June, the month still wasn’t nearly as busy as a typical July and August in Door County. In July of 2019, the county filled 21,706 more room nights than in June of 2021. The countywide occupancy rate was 74.66% in July of 2019, compared to 64% in June of 2021.

* 2021 numbers may not account for late collections.