South Whidbey Harbor sees revenue surging post-COVID

The trend appears to carry through community.

Despite emerging from a pandemic and its economic repercussions, the South Whidbey Harbor in Langley is on track to have a record-breaking year of revenues for 2021.

“Our harbor is going gangbusters,” Stan Reeves, executive director of the Port of South Whidbey, said during a meeting for the port last week.

Since January, the harbor’s monthly revenues have exceeded those of years past. June 2021, for example, saw a total of $24,912 in revenue, whereas pre-pandemic June 2019 only brought in $19,065.

Although it’s too early to tell if July 2021 will be another record-breaking month for the marina, Reeves said in an email to the South Whidbey Record that July and August are historically the harbor’s busiest months.

The upward trend at the harbor, he added, seems to be following a similar trend throughout Langley and the whole of South Whidbey.

“The conversations I hear are that lodging facilities are booked, restaurants can’t keep up with demand, and a ‘worker’ shortage is the main impediment to the local economy roaring back,” Reeves said in his email.

Monthly sales tax revenue for May 2021 in Langley was higher than it had been any other year. That total was $40,992, compared to $26,286 in 2019.

Revenue from the city’s lodging tax has also been off to a strong start this year, with $14,853 earned in May 2021. In May 2019, that total was $12,319.