Door County’s status as a vacation destination may be helping lodging establishments stay afloat more than others around the state. A survey done by the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association shows that 47 percent of owners expect their business to disappear within the next 12 months without financial assistance. Most affected by the downturn caused by COVID-19 are areas in the state that rely on corporate travel and convention business more than others like Door County, which caters more to leisure visits. WH&LA President & CEO Bill Elliott says while everyone has struggled to rebound from the statewide shutdown earlier this year, hotels and motels in tourist spots have had their own struggles.

Elliott says nearly half of the state’s lodging property staff remains laid off or furloughed. Occupancy rates have been in down in Door County since the pandemic started to show up in late February, but was off only two percent in July according to the Door County Tourism Zone.

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