Lake Tahoe snow affecting Carmel tourism

“It sounds romantic and it is romantic,” said Randy Barton from Reno, Nevada. “It’s almost like a title of a book like, “Christmas in Carmel.”

The beach, tasty eats and quaint boutiques make Carmel a hot spot for tourists during the holiday season.

“Everybody’s in such a great mood and so happy to be down here,” said Deborah DeLong of Walnut Creek, California. “It’s a really nice place to be and to celebrate.”

Local shops say business has been plentiful the last four years of the California drought but this winter they have some stiff competition.

“We’re extremely sad just because we love seeing that business and keeping Carmel alive,” said Wendolyn Herrera with The Village Inn.

The Village Inn in Carmel says all that fresh power in Lake Tahoe is luring tourists away and the cold, rainy weather on the Central Coast isn’t helping either.

“People don’t want to travel here they want to travel to where the fun is going on,” said Herrera.

The Village Inn says business has gone down about 70%.

They’ve even had to lower their prices to fill rooms.

“We try to give as many, the best rates that we can,” said Herrera.

The Grill on Ocean Avenue says they too are being outshined by the white stuff in Lake Tahoe.

“Normally we’re quiet the first two weeks in December, then it turns into pretty crazy the last two weeks but it hasn’t,” said The Grill manager Margot Dyer. “Some people have taken their kids skiing already.”

The restuaurant says this season foot traffic is down 25%.

“I’m not sure how much more than that but I can feel it,” said Dyer.

While businesses are hurting tourists we talked to say for them there’s an upside, no crowds to deal with.

“It appears all of the families are not downtown, it’s nice, it’s lovely,” said DeLong.

Businesses tell us they expect things to turn around for New Year’s Eve.

They are already getting calls from people who want to bring in the new year in a more quiet and peaceful way.