It has been a busy few weeks for Bree Richmond and Claude Bailey who own Short Term Rentals Tucson . The gem shows have been giving them a boost in business the last few weeks.
They said between January and April, they get the most customers, especially during the weeks of the Gem, Mineral, and Fossil showcase.
“That short period of time, we are probably making four times what we would normally make on a nightly rate for our properties,” Richmond said.
Bailey said their rentals are more expensive for people who book earlier for the gem shows. He said the later people book, the cheaper it is.
Richmond said this year they have four times as many properties as they did at this time last year.
“So our business is growing. In terms of the occupancy rate, it’s actually gone down about 11 percent year over year,” she said.
Visit Tucson said when they did their last economic impact study in 2019, the gem and mineral shows brought in over 60 thousand visitors to Tucson over two weeks in February.