February 10,2016-
–Attendance at Disney’s U.S. parks is up 10 percent over last year’s first quarter says the latest Disney financial report. Guests are spending 7 percent more because of higher costs for admission, food, beverages and merchandise, said Christine McCarthy, Disney’s chief financial officer.
– A decline in oil-related business travel has prompted United Airlines to end flights between Bakersfield and Houston in early April, five years after the service launched says the Bakersfield Californian.
“The service was popular with local energy companies, many of which are based in Houston or do business there. But in September, more than a year into the oil industry’s severe downturn, United cut back to one flight per day between Bakersfield and Houston.”
-Kern Crude is hovering just over $20 a barrel this week meaning more red ink for county oil firms.
– In SLO American Airlines is offering a new, round-trip flight out of the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport starting February 11, a plane will head to and from Phoenix daily, arriving in San Luis Obispo by 6:38 p.m., and leaving by 7:10 p.m.
The airline already offers three flights from SLO to Phoenix.
-Tourism in SLO city took a tumble in January with hotel occupancy at 53.5% compared to 58.9% in Jan 2014. Rooms sold declined by 9.2% says Smith Travel.
-So are West Coast residents still heading to Hawaii for R&R or has the unstable stock market spooked leisure spending? U.S.West traveler spending in Hawaii was up 10.8% in December and up 7.2% by visitor number.