REMOTE WORKERS SOUGHT

Labor Day weekend is here, and in vacation areas like the Lake Tahoe Basin, that traditionally means the end to the busy summer season, according to KCRA 3 News.

However, with distance learning and remote work being new ways of life due to the novel coronavirus outbreak and the resulting public health orders, many who live and operate businesses in Tahoe are wondering if this year might be different?

“I assume that we’re going to see a little bit of an extension to the summer mostly because people have a little bit of extra money going on,” said longtime Tahoe resident and marina employee Flip Shtalenkov.

Another indicator that the summer season may extend beyond Labor Day is rental occupancy.

“I think we’re going to see an increase this year of 20% to 40%,” said Sean Ward, with Luxe Vaca Property Management.

Ward said he’s already seeing the increase. Homes that used to book for 15 nights a month in the off-season are already booked at roughly 25 nights in coming months. More people are deciding to stay a full month or longer, indicating they may be looking not for a vacation but a remote workspace.

“I have more leads than I can fill to put into long-term rentals -- a lot of them,” Ward said.

The continuation of the tourist season is welcome news for many businesses that struggled in the spring when Tahoe was closed to tourists.