Palm Springs: A Year-Round Destination

PALM SPRINGS – A steady increase in events throughout the summer is making Palm Springs a year-round destination.

Shortfest, Comic Con and Splash House are just a few of the tourist attractions that happen during “off season.”

The summers are no longer a resting period for Palm Springs. In fact, the visitors bureau said summertime travel is booming, which is a change from the past.

“Year-round there’s people walking down the sidewalks,” Tom Smith, a Palm Springs visitor, said. “When I was a kid, the sidewalks were empty.”

The Palm Springs Visitor’s Bureau has seen a significant increase in their numbers in the past five years but that’s all due to a collaborative effort between them and the rest of the city, communications director Joyce Kiehl said.

Visitors spent $5.5 billion in 2017, a 10 percent increase over 2015, according to the bureau.

The bureau works closely with restaurants, events and hotels in the city including hotspots like the Saguaro Hotel which throws parties bringing people in from all over.

“We’re seeing an increase in guests arriving through the summer, we’re selling out every weekend,” General Manager of the Saguaro, Matt Shough, said. “We’re seeing a lot more people out on the streets.”

In addition to the well-known events, a few new ones are being tacked on to the list.

“We have Wanderlust coming this fall, Wellspring,” Kiehl said. “We have Ironman taking place in December.”

This is all an effort to make the fall a health and wellness period, Kiehl said.

The bureau is also reaching out to baby boomers and millennials; two demographics that tend to be active and adventurous or just poolside chillers.

“We’ve got a big pool,” Shough said. “Come jump in.”

The bureau sent out hundreds of tourist magazines to people across the globe who showed an interest in visiting online.

Year-round marketing is keeping tourism active. The bureau’s goal is to have 16 million tourists in 2026.

For a full list of Palm Springs events, visit their website.