But because the pandemic lasted so long, local owners “redoubled their efforts repairing and upgrading,” with millions of dollars invested in upgrades in hotels, restaurants, hiking trails and activities.Ĭonsequently, the island has a fresh, welcoming look. “Ordinarily, when the visitor volume turns down, you replace carpet at your hotel or paint the outside of your store,” he said. Local businesses worked wonders during the pandemic, said Jim Luttjohann, president of the Catalina Tourism Authority. There are so many new, updated or recently developed things to see and do that even frequent visitors will find a gold mine of opportunities. The goal was to restore tourism - and they are succeeding. But they did something else too: They looked to the future. Like the rest of the state, Catalina’s 4,000 locals hunkered down and tried to stay healthy. Leisure travel was banned and the island’s lifeblood - its visitors - disappeared. During the pandemic, it may as well have been a universe away. Santa Catalina may be only an hour from the Southern California mainland, but it feels a world away.
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