A new report compiled by independent research firm Dean Runyon Associates indicates tourism generated $1.34 billion in direct travel-generated spending in North Lake Tahoe in 2025. The California portion of North Lake Tahoe was responsible for the generation of $1.04 billion of that total – a 1.1% increase over the prior year, despite a 0.7% decrease in overnight visitor volume.

The report also revealed that the travel industry gained approximately 100 jobs in 2025, and that travelers whose primary mode of transportation was by air made up 38% of visitor spending—a 5.5% increase, demonstrating the success of our efforts to attract visitors who typically stay 3+ days.

On average, visitors who stayed in a hotel, motel or short-term vacation rental spent $466 per day, stayed approximately 2.7 days, and traveled with a party of 3.9 people. This resulted in a 2.3% increase in direct earnings in the form of wages, benefits, and proprietor income generated by travel from $367.8 million in 2024 to $376.2 million in 2025.

As the North Tahoe region’s primary economic driver, tourism is responsible for supporting local businesses and contributing to the vibrancy of downtown areas, paying wages and salaries for 6 out of 10 local workers, and generating revenues for reinvestment in infrastructure and initiatives aligned with community priorities.

In 2025, local tax revenue generated by visitor spending totaled $33 million (a 2% increase compared to 2024) that supports community services including schools, snow removal, roads and other infrastructure.

Ultimately, what this report tells us is that tourism continues to be a critical driver of North Tahoe’s economy. It also gives our community the means to reinvest taxes and assessments into community priorities like workforce housing, transportation, human impact mitigation, and business support programs that improve quality of life and overall experiences for everyone.

Read the report

As part of the NTCA’s involvement with CalTravel, the state association tasked with protecting and advancing the interests and investments of California’s travel industry, we’ve been following the bills that made it to the Governor’s desk at the end of September and how they might impact our business community.

Specifically, CalTravel took positions on and actively tracked 12 bills that were either signed, successfully stopped, vetoed, or held on Assembly Suspense. Read CalTravel’s summary of the final outcomes of each bill here.

Through our association with CalTravel, we’re also continuing conversations with representatives to advocate for a California State Event Fund that, if created, would help local communities like ours attract exciting events that drive economic activity during periods of need.

In January 2027, CalTravel will officially introduce language to legislators toward that end, giving our state an opportunity to retain existing events and attract new ones, ultimately bringing increased revenue, important jobs, and community connections across the state.

The Lake Tahoe Ambassador Program is a paid summer internship that trains local youth to become environmental stewards and public educators for the Lake Tahoe region. Led by college-level crew leaders, Ambassadors receive hands-on training in topics like natural history, wildfire prevention, trail stewardship, species identification, and communication skills. Throughout the summer, they engage with visitors at beaches, trailheads, and visitor centers, sharing ways to recreate responsibly and protect Tahoe’s natural environment. They also model stewardship in action—picking up litter, supporting clean recreation spaces, and using citizen science tools to track observations in the field.

Learn More

About the Sierra Nevada Alliance

Since 1993, the Sierra Nevada Alliance has been working to protect and restore Sierra lands, water and wildlife. The organization manages a variety of service programs, legislative initiatives and community engagement programs to make progress on priorities including climate resiliency, resilient forests, and watershed protection and restoration. Created to be a hub for stewardship, the Sierra Nevada Alliance facilitates the successful ambassador program throughout the Tahoe Basin by empowering and collaborating with partners including the NTCA.

The North Tahoe Community Alliance (NTCA) is seeking candidates for its Board of Directors to help guide the work of the organization in its responsibilities under the North Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District (NLT-TBID) and in contracts with the County of Placer that focus on destination management and marketing, housing and transportation, and sustainability initiatives. NTCA is focused on leveraging the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program to foster economic health, community vitality, and environmental sustainability that benefits local residents, businesses, and visitors.

There are five seats open for election as identified:

• Northstar Business Association (organization designated seat)
• Northstar California (organization designated seat)
• Ritz-Carlton (organization designated seat)
• Tahoe City Downtown Association (designated seat)
• West Shore Lodging/Property Management (designated seat)

Eligible candidates must be an owner, manager, of an assessed active, current business (or the designated representative of that business) within the NLT-TBID district as defined in the corporation by-laws.

Ballots have been sent in prior to February 2, 2026, the election will occur in March 2026, and new board members will be seated at the April 2026 Board of Directors meeting.

Candidate Statements

Read the statements below to learn more about the candidates for the NTCA Board of Directors.

Josh Johnson, Director of Finance at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
DJ Ewan, Director of Business Development at Granlibakken Management Company
Fred Kruse Schneider, Jr., Lake Tahoe Branch Manager for Local Vacation Rentals
Robb Olson, licensed architect, contractor and real estate broker

As part of the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program’s Annual Grant Cycle, the NTCA Board of Directors recently approved and recommended a total of nearly $7.5 million in tourism-generated funding for projects and programs designed to enhance community vitality and improve quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors. This funding unlocks $8.8 million in matching grants, for a cumulative investment of over $16 million in the North Lake Tahoe community.

“The TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program provides the ability to direct funds generated by those who visit North Lake Tahoe – whether for the day, or if they stay overnight – to initiatives that enhance the day-to-day experience for all of us,” said Sue Rae Irelan, NTCA board president. “During this Annual Grant Cycle, projects that were put forward for funding consideration were primarily trail projects, however we hope to see funding requests for more workforce housing initiatives that can provide new housing options for our friends, neighbors, and colleagues in future cycles.”

At the recommendation of the broad coalition of local residents who make up the TBID Advisory and Zone 1 committees, the NTCA Board of Directors approved the expenditure of up to $565,606 in TBID funds. Through the TBID, both day visitors and overnight visitors contribute to North Lake Tahoe’s vitality through purchases at activity providers, restaurants, and retailers. TBID funds must be spent on programs and activities that directly benefit the businesses paying the assessment.

The four projects to receive TBID funding support initiatives that contribute to community vitality, economic health and environmental stewardship:

• Keeping Tahoe Blue Beach Pilot at Kings Beach
• Dollar Creek Trail Grooming
• Revitalize the Watson Cabin Phase II
• Tahoe City Gateway Beautification

In addition, the NTCA Board of Directors voted in support of the TOT Advisory committee’s motion to recommend to the Placer County Board of Supervisors up to $6,914,220 in TOT funds (generated by overnight visitors who stay in local hotels or short-term rentals) be invested into eight projects.

In January 2025, the Board of Supervisors approved funding for the following:

• North Tahoe Trail Access Improvement project
• TCPUD West Shore Trail Reconstruction
• Martis Valley Trail
• North Tahoe Shared Use Trail Segment 1
• Tahoe City Downtown Access improvements
• A community art and gathering space for Kings Beach and Tahoe Vista
• New radar speed signs as part of the North Tahoe Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan

At a recent meeting, the Placer County Board of Supervisors approved nearly $1 million in TOT funding through the Annual Grant Cycle for winter shuttle service and enhanced transit in North Lake Tahoe. The funds are being used for Regional Transit Park and Ride programs with additional shuttles for the Highway 89 corridor between Tahoe City and Olympic Valley, an additional weekend of service on the Highway 267 corridor between Truckee and Northstar, plus new shuttles between Truckee and Donner Summit/Sugar Bowl Resort.

Included in the nearly $1 million approved TOT funds were allocations for extended winter commuter services in North Lake Tahoe that will run from Dec. 4 through April 7, 2025 and supplement existing TART fixed-route bus services. The new service will operate along the three major highways with the goal of providing service to commuters, residents, and visitors each morning and evening.

“The TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program has helped advance efforts to work toward solving some of our region’s most challenging issues,” said Tony Karwowski, NTCA president and CEO. “Although we still have a long way to go, having access to two sources that generate funding primarily paid by tourists visiting our region gives our community a greater opportunity than ever before to address some of these pressing needs.”

Learn more about the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program and how it supports a vibrant, year-round economy in North Lake Tahoe here.

In a story published in the Sierra Sun, reporter Katelyn Welsh features North Lake Tahoe resident Justin Sheaff and the grassroots passion project he’s pursued for the past 15 years benefitting the local community – winter grooming of the Dollar Creek Trail.

Welsh profiles Sheaff, how he got started, and how the project has evolved over time to now include the 4+ mile Dollar Creek Trail and a connector to Tahoe XC. This endeavor, which now requires funding to support the cost of fuel, maintenance, storage and repairs to the snowcat, plus wages for those who groom the trail, has become a costly one.

The NTCA awarded $125,000 in TBID funds to support the grooming effort, which local business owners are quoted in the story saying they’ve benefited from.
Click here to read the full story.

Sue Rae Irelan

Published in the Sierra Sun on December 21, 2024 >

When the North Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) was formed by the business community, it created, for the first time, a way for both day and overnight visitors to help contribute to the region’s vitality. It also launched an entirely different way for our community to leverage revenues generated by tourism and a new opportunity for local decision-making related to reinvesting these funds back into our community.

Why does this matter? Simply put, when our community is actively involved in decisions that impact those who live, work and play here, the outcome is better for us all. We – as a collective community – have representation on the committees and the Board of Directors convened by the North Tahoe Community Alliance (NTCA). These members are local business and community organization representatives and residents representing all geographic areas of our region and businesses, both large and small. The collective “we” are vested in this community’s success while recognizing that success relies on achieving balance in the unique environment we all are fortunate to call home.

Prior to the TBID, approximately $5M per year in Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), paid only by overnight visitors who stay in local hotels or short-term rentals, was reinvested in North Lake Tahoe. Those funds were used to support quality-of-life services like transportation initiatives, bike paths, and other infrastructure upgrades. It also supported economic vitality efforts, including marketing the destination to encourage tourism – the cornerstone industry of our region.

Today, our community has more decision-making ability on how funds generated by tourism are reinvested than ever before. The formation of the TBID gave the NTCA’s locally based volunteer Board of Directors the final decision on the expenditure of TBID funds. And, together with the new committees formed to represent a diverse collection of local voices, the NTCA Board can better advocate for community needs regarding the recommendation of TOT funding expenditures that the Placer County Board of Supervisors ultimately has the authority to approve.

This broad coalition of community members, 56 people in total, meets regularly to evaluate projects and programs that have requested funding support and decide which to invest in – projects like Lease to Locals, the expansion of TART Connect’s service hours, and the Sierra Community House’s Workforce Housing Advocacy & Direct Assistance Program.

Because of the TBID, the revenue available to address community needs, help support the business community, and bolster a year-round economy, has increased from $5M to approximately $11M annually.

Another major change that occurred because of the TBID was the shift in the NTCA’s focus. The organization now serves as North Lake Tahoe’s Destination Management and Stewardship Organization and has refocused its marketing strategy to support the destination during off-peak seasons and mid-week, while refocusing the peak season messages to educate visitors about how to help take care of Tahoe when they’re here. TBID funds also support locally produced events that contribute to the character of our community and are used to help mitigate tourism impacts by funding projects like the BEBOT beach cleaning robot and the Lake Tahoe Ambassador program.

Because of the TBID, more TOT dollars are available to support critical transportation and workforce housing initiatives that benefit those who live and work in our community. This shift, which requires local committee recommendations in the process of reinvesting TOT funds in North Lake Tahoe, gives our region greater influence over our destiny than ever before.

In 2026, the North Lake Tahoe business community will have the ability to renew the TBID. Its continuation will allow the valuable work being done through the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program to support local businesses and our community’s top priorities.

If it is not renewed, we’ll have roughly $6M less in available funding annually for workforce housing and transportation projects and programs, and less direct, local influence over how tourism revenues are allocated. 

In simple terms, without the TBID and the additional funding it provides, we lose a broadened funding bucket that has local oversight and is directed at tackling our community’s most important priorities as set by those who live, work and play here.

Interested in learning more about the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program and how tourism generated funds are being reinvested in our community? Read the NTCA’s Annual Report at https://www.northtahoecommunityalliance.com.

Sue Rae Irelan is the Chair of the North Tahoe Community Alliance Board of Directors

Mindful travel to North Lake Tahoe is a vital driver of our local economy. Tourism revenue allows our region to create more travel-related jobs as well as fund greater investments in infrastructure, amenities and innovation through the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program. The North Lake Tahoe Marketing Cooperative offers a variety of initiatives that restaurants, local businesses, and lodging properties can take part in to promote visitation to the region and to their individual locations. Are you ready to promote your business through website updates, social media collaborations, sharing assets and more?

As the winter season gets underway, not only are North Lake Tahoe resorts continuing their ongoing investments in the skier experience, this year marks significant milestone anniversaries as Sugar Bowl celebrates 85 years, Palisades Tahoe turns 75, Boreal commemorates 60 years, and Tahoe XC starts its 25th year as a nonprofit organization serving the community.

There’s no doubt that North Lake Tahoe’s impressive concentration of ski areas and outdoor recreation providers have helped shape our community and the distinct California ski culture. They’re what stand us apart from other winter destinations with the unparalleled sense of place and unique character they offer.

Essential to North Lake Tahoe’s success, ski areas are some of our region’s largest employers and have long been the primary drivers of the region’s winter economy. They’ve also pioneered many “firsts.” From offering the first chairlift in California at Sugar Bowl to hosting the first Winter Olympic Games in the western U.S. at Palisades Tahoe, to being on the leading edge of the rise of snowboarding up on Donner Summit, our winter sports legacy runs deep. These mountains have introduced countless first-timers to winter sports and turned out a cadre of Olympic and World Cup athletes.

They’ve also found ways big and small to give back to our community. Whether through support for local nonprofits to hosting events that bring people together and build community, local ski areas have undoubtedly taken an active role in our region since their inception.

As the snow starts to fly and throughout the season, expect to be immersed in local ski history and tradition as area resorts celebrate their legacy and recount the various stories, people and events that made it all possible.