ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Demand for local hotel rooms is reaching a more normal level after a post-pandemic boost, the director of tourism agency Explore Elk Grove said at the Oct. 23 Elk Grove City Council meeting.

In Explore Elk Grove’s annual report on its performance in fiscal year 2023-24, Executive Director Aaryn Val also announced that her agency had helped secure a major swimming competition to be held next year.

The city of Elk Grove created Explore Elk Grove and the associated Elk Grove Tourism and Marketing District in 2015. The marketing district assesses a fee on hotel room charges, which funds Explore Elk Grove’s promotional efforts.

“Year over year, our team collaborates closely with the community, small-business owners, event producers, tournament directors and so many more, and together we unveil Elk Grove’s unique story (and) generate hotel revenue, tax dollars and economic impact that benefits our community as a whole,” Val said.

Hotel occupancy rates in Elk Grove “are still strong but they have been normalizing,” following trends seen across the state, Val said. She attributed this trend to economic pressures, changing travel patterns and a fall-off in “revenge travel” that occurred after the end of COVID-19 restrictions.

In 2023-24, the city’s hotel occupancy was at 77%, and the average daily room rate was about $146. Room revenue reached $27.8 million, and the revenue per occupied room was nearly $114.

The visitor statistics showed that the vast majority of Elk Grove guests are from California, with Nevada as a distant second. Nearly 59% are repeat visitors.

Val said visitors to Elk Grove spent $94.6 million. According to credit reporting agency TransUnion, credit card users spent an average of $183 per cardholder.

Much midweek travel is for business, Val said, while “a lot of travel on weekends is for sports tournaments.” She said the business travel “really drives hotels and the revenues high.”

Val highlighted a future swimming competition that is returning to the city after three years. The Western Zones Age Group Championship will be held in 2025 at District56 through a partnership between Explore Elk Grove and Elk Grove Aquatics Club.

Explore Elk Grove has raised engagement with its online marketing materials, Val said, citing an 88% increase in website sessions and a 79% increase in website users. Its listings for local businesses received nearly 14,500 clicks.

“Thank you for all of the great work that you continue to do in elevating Elk Grove’s brand to a wider audience. I sincerely appreciate it,” Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen said.

Local Transit 

Usage Rebounds

Local bus ridership fully recovered from the pandemic in fiscal year 2022-23, Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) Director of Planning Anthony Adams told City Council.

He said that local bus ridership from July 2022 to June 2023 was 16% higher than it was in Fiscal Year 2018-19.

Much of that recovery came from the district’s program offering free rides to students, which doubled student ridership from 2018-19 to 2022-23.

While local buses are doing well, other SacRT services in Elk Grove have lost ridership compared to 2019 levels, despite some gains since the depths of the pandemic. For example, commuter bus ridership dropped from nearly 372,100 in 2018-19 to 75,600 in 2022-23. In the same period, overall ridership went from about 754,900 to 512,600, a decrease of 32%. While transit within Elk Grove is relatively available, Adams said, it is harder to get transit out of Elk Grove.

Adams said SacRT is discontinuing its SmaRT Ride ride-sharing service due to high costs, with plans to replace it with a program called SacRT Flex, focused on vulnerable populations.

Looking to the future, Adams said Elk Grove will be a major focus as SacRT performs a comprehensive review of operations. Adams also raised the possibility of extending light rail into the city from Cosumnes River College; a feasibility study on the topic will be completed in early 2026.

Councilmember Darren Suen appreciated the light rail plans, bringing up the concept of an express line bypassing the college on the way to Elk Grove. Adams replied that SacRT is looking at ways of increasing its speed.

Vice-Mayor Rod Brewer asked how the district is transitioning to SacRT Flex. Adams said that SacRT has already held two open houses on the change, with a virtual outreach event planned for Nov. 6. (For more information, visit sacrt.com/visual-composer-13850). Adams added that SacRT would work to ensure that eligible riders are aware of the change.

Singh-Allen, who is a SacRT board member, said she appreciates the district’s focus on Elk Grove and acknowledged the room to improve transit options out of the city.

In other business, City Council voted 5-0 to add five new properties to the Elk Grove Register of Historic Resources. These properties join 49 other properties on the register.

Four of the properties are maintained by Elk Grove Historical Society at Elk Grove Regional Park, including Rhoads School. The fifth is the Kunsting Residence on Bilby Road, a 19th-century home that “embodies the distinctive characteristics” of its Queen Anne architectural style.