Ben Perle of the Oxford Hotel Group Addresses Mt. Bachelor’s Concerns of Proposed TRT Increase in Bend

At the June 5 Bend City Council meeting, Victor Chudowsky spoke on behalf of Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort General Manager Dave Rathbun sharing his concerns that increasing Bend’s Transient Room Tax (TRT) rate by two percent would discourage tourist visitation in winter months to Bend and Mt. Bachelor.

The following day in a memo to city council, Oxford Hotel Group executive and Bend Chamber of Commerce board member, Ben Perle addressed Rathbun’s and Chudowsky’s concerns.

Perle pointed out that based on Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort’s research “18 percent of Mt. Bachelor‘s winter visitors lodge in Bend where total lodging taxes are 10 percent.   Surprisingly, a whopping 44 percent of Mt. Bachelor‘s winter visitors lodge in Sunriver where total lodging taxes and fees range from 15 percent to 23+ percent.”

Perle then asked the question, “with the majority of Mt. Bachelor‘s visitors choosing lodging in Sunriver where the lodging taxes and fees are often double those in Bend, doesn’t it seem illogical that these same visitors would be deterred by a 2 percent increase to Bend‘s much lower lodging tax rate?”

Another observation shared by Perle addressed the premium nature of our region’s tourism product.  Perle wrote, “according to www.findthebest.com, at Mt. Bachelor ski resort, the adult lift ticket price is $73, which is $28 higher than the average for all ski resorts. A child lift ticket is $46, which is $16 higher than the average for all ski resorts.

“If visitors to Mt. Bachelor are willing to pay 35+ percent more than the industry average to ski at Mt. Bachelor, is it reasonable to think these same visitors would be deterred by a 2 percent increase to Bend’s comparatively low TRT rate? “

Perle concluded his memo with the following statement, “as Mt. Bachelor has proven, the amazing tourism experience we offer in Central Oregon and at Mt. Bachelor justifies charging a competitive rate – not only in the private sector but in the public arena as well.”