Events and holidays could boost tourism in Big Sur

The Soberanes Fire hit Big Sur during the peak of its summer moneymaking season. Now, mudslides and road closures mean further setbacks for the area.

“It’s been really super slow basically business wise,” said Lynette Tolentino, owner of Namaste Therapeutic Bodyworks.

Some businesses have seen a 60 percent drop in foot traffic.

“We didn’t come down,” said Fred Miranda of Pebble Beach. “The smoke drifted that way in the early part of the fire.”

But businesses said this February, things are looking up.

“We’re hoping that the events, especially up on the Monterey Peninsula help us out here,” said Rick Aldinger, General Manager for Big Sur River Inn.

President’s Day, Valentine’s Day and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am are all coming p, which businesses said will generate day and weekend trips to Big Sur.

“For the At&T we’ll see a more golf centric crowd, said Kirk Gafill, Nepenthe Restaurant General Manager. “For President’s Day weekend it’s a little bit of everybody, but it’s a lot of everybody. Certainly for Valentine’s Day it’s gonna be a lot of couples.”

This month, business could go up anywhere from 10-30 percent.

“We have people coming in to visit and going to the AT&T,” said Miranda. “We’ll probably bring them down to enjoy the River Inn.”

While tourism from the north is expected to be strong, many visitors from the south may not be able to get through because mud and rock slides have shut down a stretch of Hwy 1.

“No one’s really willing to go around to come through Monterey and then come see us in Big Sur,” said Tolentino. “Most people are just wanting to do what they need to do to get where they need to go.”

Shop owners know that economic recovery is weather-dependent; too much rain could hold back business even furher..