Resort town being ruined by tourists with tripling prices - and it's 'getting worse'
Lake Tahoe has seen such an influx of tourists that travel guides have added it to the "No list" for 2023.
Lake Tahoe's colossal influx of tourists has seen it added to the “No list” for 2023, with travel guide Fodor’s saying the area 'needs a break’.
This popular mountain destination, which straddles both California and Nevada, works beautifully all year round. In Summer, thousands come for its crystal blue waters and in Winter for its world-class ski resorts, but Fodor’s are concerned about the harmful ecological effects of over-tourism.
Around 15 million people descend on it annually, more than even Disneyland yet its full-time residents number just over 60,000.
The pandemic saw a massive influx of people moving to the area. More than 3,000 arrived in 2020 alone. House prices have tripled in some areas over the last few years.
Some houses in the basin have gone from $345,000 in 2012 to $950,000 in 2021 according to the Tahoe Prosperity Center.
“It’s been getting progressively worse,” Clay Kuecker, a lifelong resident, said while sitting at the bar of a restaurant on the lake’s north shore.
“The market is so tight and the demand is so high [sellers] get whatever they want. Renters cross [their] fingers and hope the owners don’t sell,” he told The Guardian.
The likes of the Kardashians, Justin Bieber, and the Real Housewives are regularly spotted here and in the mid-20th century, Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra often holidayed at Tahoe. Visitors come for hiking, camping, boating, and of course, skiing.
“I can’t go to my beaches anymore”, said Susan Daniels, a resident of Kings Beach, California. “I cannot go to Sand Harbor, where I grew up unless I get in line at 7 in the morning”.
Local officials are trying to lure visitors to the less-busy parts of the lake. They’re also trying to encourage them to visit in shoulder season though this is an issue and wouldn’t necessarily work due to the school vacation period.
Since last November when Fodor’s initially highlighted “Lake Tahoe has a people problem”, many local authorities have suggested strategies such as launching taxes or fees on motorists.
An estimated eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are the result of tourism. That’s not to mention other effects such as the destruction of wildlife habitat, overcrowding, and stress on supply changes. This month saw the unveiling of the Lake Tahoe
Destination Stewardship Plan, backed by businesses and government departments who prioritize “sustainably preserving” the area, features plenty of ideas. Nothing is yet set in stone, however, except for an emphasis on easing the traffic which also causes air pollution. The plan suggests also looking at timed entry reservations and capacity limits.
Amy Berry, CEO of the nonprofit Tahoe Fund says, “We’re not a national park”. We don’t have gates. We’re not going to ever shut the door on folks”.
Despite the traffic has become so overwhelming, Washoe County Commission Chairwoman Alexis Hill in Reno, Nevada, the closest city to the lake acknowledges bringing in restrictions to discourage visitors won’t be easy.
“But honestly, I think people may have recognized we may already be getting to the point of unsustainability,” she said.
“When you have folks like Fodor’s saying, ‘Don’t go to Lake Tahoe’, that’s not good for us as a region. We need folks to visit here, but we need a system to manage them."
