SMALL SPENDERS: Despite tight times, tourists are...
SMALL SPENDERS: Despite tight times, tourists are still coming in big numbers to the fancy hotels in Dana Point, such as the Ritz-Carlton and the Dana Point Resort. That’s good news for the city, which gets a third of its annual budget of $11 million from a bed tax. The downside? Those guests aren’t shopping. . . . “People who can afford $200 a night are still out there,” Mayor Mike Eggers says, “but they don’t seem to be spending any money.” Shop owners say sales are down more than 10%. The city projects its sales tax revenue will be off that much too.
