Situational Analysis

The Canyons and Plains region in Southeast Colorado is an emerging rural destination known for its traditional character, agricultural abundance, and rich tapestry of American, Hispanic, and Native American heritage. This area boasts well-preserved historical sites, unique landscapes like the Comanche National Grassland, three National Historic Sites, and two State Parks. Despite its potential, this region faces challenges such as limited financial and human resources, a lack of understanding and appreciation for the tourism industry, and an over-reliance on volunteers. To address these issues, this regional Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan emphasizes fostering collaboration and improving communication among tourism partners and stakeholders, developing destinations and tourism experiences with a focus on stewardship, and strengthening the partnership with CTO.

The destination stewardship priority strategies identified through stakeholder consultations for this region include:

  1. Champion the Value of Tourism
  2. Safeguard and Promote Cultural Heritage through Collaboration
  3. Preserve Habitats and Promote Wildlife Stewardship
  4. Empower Museums as Pillars of Tourism
  5. Strengthen Rural Tourism Networks
  6. Discover Hidden Adventures with a Guide

Tourism Assets and Infrastructure

  • Amtrak Stations: Lamar, La Junta, Trinidad
  • Commercial Airports: La Junta Municipal Airport, Southeast Colorado Regional Airport (Lamar), Perry Stokes Airport (Trinidad)
  • Scenic Byways: Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway, Scenic Highway of Legends National Byway
  • National Public Lands (parks/historic sites): Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, Amache National Historic Site, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Comanche National Grassland
  • Main Streets: La Junta, Lamar, Trinidad
  • Creative Districts: La Junta Creative Main Street, Corazon de Trinidad Creative Main Street
  • State Parks: Trinidad Lake State Park, Fishers Peak State Park
  • State Wildlife Areas: 28

Economic Impact of Tourism in 2023

(The Economic Impact of Travel in Colorado / 2023p / Prepared by Dean Runyan Associates)

  • Visitor Spending: $129.3M
  • Other Travel Spending: $119.9K
  • Total Travel Spending: $129.4M
  • Travel Industry Earnings: $51.7M
  • Employment: 1,900 jobs
  • Local Tax: $3.0M
  • State Tax: $4.1M
  • Total Tax: $7.1M

Destination Stewardship Partners

The Canyons and Plains region has a number of organizations and initiatives currently working on destination stewardship. Due to the large geography and varied levels of tourism development, the organizations tend to work at a municipal or county level rather than throughout the entire region, with the exception of the Canyons and Plains Regional Heritage Taskforce (CPRHTF). Refer to Annex 2 for a list of the organizations and partners working within the region.

Strategic Planning Process

The destination stewardship strategic planning process for the Canyons and Plains travel region involved extensive consultations with stakeholders to understand their perspectives and priorities, garner broad-based support, and align the plan with their needs and expectations. This was accomplished through a series of in-person workshops, interviews, webinars, and surveys conducted from July 2023 through June 2024. Stakeholders actively participated and contributed to the development of the regional plan through these engagement methods:

July – September 2023: Introductory Meetings

During this initial phase, an introductory webinar was conducted in each region to introduce the destination stewardship strategic planning initiative and engage participants in identifying the key priorities throughout the state.

August 2023: Regional Workshops

Regional workshops were held in La Junta and Trinidad to gather further input on priority issues and potential solutions.

August – November 2023: Stakeholder Interviews

Through one-on-one conversations, the regional facilitator delved deeper into the priority issues to understand the root causes, the current efforts to address them, and future opportunities.

December 2023: Stakeholder Survey

An online survey was offered to tourism stakeholders and community members to increase awareness of the strategic planning process, encourage broader participation, and gather additional input on future priorities and opportunities for tourism.

April 2024: Regional Presentation and Roadshow

A regional presentation was held in Las Animas, accompanied by a “roadshow” featuring a series of focused discussions and meetings. These meetings provided an overview of the draft statewide strategy and allowed attendees to discuss region-specific strategies and priorities for inclusion in the draft plan.

June 2024: Public Feedback Process

The draft plan was made available online, giving stakeholders the opportunity to provide comments and suggestions before finalization.

Key Metrics:

  • Attendees at webinars?
  • 23 individual stakeholder Interviews
  • 47 attendees across three workshops
  • 13 individuals consulted during roadshow meetings

The community-led strategies emerged from the consultation process, providing a framework for the region to address collectively its most pressing destination stewardship priorities over the next 10 years.

Acknowledgements

The development of a Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan for the Canyons and Plains travel region was a collective undertaking of stakeholders throughout the region. The Colorado Tourism Office expresses our profound appreciation to all individuals who played a pivotal role, including representatives from government agencies, destination management/marketing organization partners, industry associations, tourism stakeholders, and residents. Through virtual meetings, workshops, interviews, and surveys, you generously shared your expertise, perspectives, and vision, shaping a comprehensive strategy that reflects our collective aspirations for destination stewardship. Special recognition is also extended to the members of the Destination Stewardship Council, whose guidance and leadership steered the process with wisdom and foresight.

We also extend our gratitude to Solimar International and their team of regional consultants for facilitating the development of the Colorado Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan and eight regional plans. Their dedication and expertise were instrumental in guiding us through a comprehensive and inclusive consultation process, resulting in a plan reflective of the perspectives and voices of stakeholders.

Solimar International Team

  • Amy Cassidy, Canyons and Plains/Pioneering Plains Regional Facilitator
  • Chris Seek, Team Leader
  • Natalie Sellier, Project Manager

The development of the regional Destination Stewardship Strategic Plans was made possible through the generous grant funding of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.