Sluggish economy doesn’t keep visitors away

In a 2004 article, USA Today described Sandpoint as a Norman Rockwell meets Ansel Adams classic.

But when gasoline prices started to rise and unemployment rates began to climb, those in this picturesque town began to worry that the economy would severely impact its tourism industry.

“With the economy taking a nose dive and with gas prices being so high, we were quite concerned that this would affect the sales from tourism,” said Ray Smith, owner of Athlete’s Choice in downtown Sandpoint.

But it seems that even the dim economic forecast could not keep tourists away from the beauty of the mountains and the lure of the lake in Sandpoint this summer.

With activities such as hiking, huckleberry picking and mountain biking at Schweitzer Mountain, to weekly sailboat races and concerts by the lake, there is always something for everyone in this quaint area of North Idaho.

While it is true that many businesses are in fact struggling, those whose income relies heavily upon tourism are not feeling the economic crunch like those in the construction and real estate businesses.

“While our business in the Sandpoint store is slightly lower compared to last summer, we are still ahead of our plan,” said Joanne Strom, Coldwater Creek’s manager of corporate communications.

Smith agrees, saying his sales in June of this year were actually higher than the same time last year. While July showed a decrease in sales compared with last year, August numbers appear so far to have made up for it.

People may not be visiting from far-away places, but thanks to the neighbors to the north, there has still been a steady flow of tourists to Sandpoint.

“We have had quite a few more tourists from Canada this year, which has helped the downtown businesses,” said Smith, who speculates that is most likely due to the exchange rate.

Amy Little, executive director for the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, said the community has indeed experienced more regional traffic this year, but the fact that people are not traveling from far-away places has not hurt the tourism industry here.

“Realistically we are doing better than what we expected,” Little said. “Sandpoint is just a short drive but it is really a world away from larger communities such as Coeur d’Alene and Spokane.”

Each year one of the biggest attractions in this community is undoubtedly the Festival at Sandpoint. According to the music festival’s Executive Director Dyno Wahl, this year’s festival is likely to surpass previous years.

When Wahl first took over as executive director in 1999, ticket sales totaled 208,000. While she does not expect to hit her goal of 600,000 ticket sales this year, Wahl said she does expect to surpass last year’s number of 530,000.

While ticket sales were up, Wahl said corporate sponsorships were down this year, but adds that they did have some new businesses step up to offer financial support.

“Some businesses are not as impacted by the struggling economy as others,” said Wahl, who recognizes that for those businesses who are affected, one of the first things cut from corporate budgets is likely to be charitable giving.

Despite the decrease in corporate sponsorships, the Festival at Sandpoint was a huge success.

Community Health and Wellness Fair

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce will host the First Annual Community Health and Wellness Fair, at the Bonner County Fairgrounds on Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is free.

Some of the services available will include free health screenings, such as glucose levels and screening for osteoporosis.

“There will be a minimal fee for some of the screenings like lipid tests,” said Heather Bennett, program and communications manager for the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, who adds that costs will still be significantly less than what one would pay in a medical office.

The fair is the result of a vision by several area businesses who were interested in starting a wellness committee. Once the committee was formed, the goal became community education.

The fair promises to have something for everyone, including tumbling provided by Funtastics as well as a climbing wall sponsored by Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort. For more information, contact the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce at 263-0887.