Winter visitors bring big boost to Yuma’s economy
Visit Yuma says they expect at least 70,000 visitors to come this year, and local businesses will be the first to benefit - 13 On Your Side's Luis Lopez reports
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Yuma is considered “the sunshine capital of the world.” So thanks to that title and other local offerings, Winter visitors continue coming to the city. Helping the local economy in the process.
Winter marks the start of thousand of visitors making their way down south, as many take advantage of warmer temperatures, and all of the city’s local offerings. Things like restaurants, RV parks, and outdoor parks all draw people in. Many of the visitors come in from Canada. Visit Yuma executive director Marcus Carney says the visitors are a huge boost for the local economy and for many businesses, it’s what keeps them going throughout the year.
“The number of people that we are now able to have come back to our community, rejoin the community, and we’re hoping that it will get close to numbers it has been in the past, that 70,000 and up number, that’ll be huge, it's gonna keep a lot of restaurants going, it's going to keep a lot of local businesses running so you cannot underestimate the impact of those winter visitors,” Carney said.
One local restaurant benefiting is Brownie’s Cafe on 4th Avenue. Assistant manager Jonathan Brooks says they have to start hiring more servers around visiting season to prepare for more customers.
“If we only come with like three people, some people aren’t gonna be taken care of like they should so we got to hire waitresses, hostesses, and even still, we’re all running around still with even extra people,” Brooks said.
Places like Brownie's cash in big, as Visit Yuma estimates that the average winter visitor, spends $4,000 to $5,000 during their stay. Making it a win-win situation for all.
