Situational Analysis
The Mystic San Luis Valley, known as the birthplace of modern Colorado and steeped in a rich history of Hispanic settlers and explorers, is celebrated for its diverse culture and strong community bonds. Despite its unique natural landscapes, agricultural heritage, and rural sense of place, the region faces challenges including limited funding and capacity among small volunteer organizations overseeing its tourism, economic development, and destination promotion efforts. With targeted funding and technical support, this region has the potential to foster tourism development and destination stewardship initiatives that not only drive economic growth but also enrich the quality of life for its residents.
The destination stewardship priority strategies identified through stakeholder consultations for this region include:
- Foster Increased Collaboration and Coordination of Regional Tourism
- Increase Responsible Visitation
- Support Regional Transit Solutions for the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
- Increase Economic Development Opportunities for Small Local Food and Agricultural Businesses
- Advance the Expansion of Collaborative Agritourism Initiatives
- Strengthen Collaboration and Promotion of Local Heritage, Creative Industries, Folk, and Traditional Arts
- Increase Climate Resiliency Among Rural Tourism Stakeholders
- Convene Regional Outdoor Recreation Stakeholders in Economic and Environmental Stewardship Efforts
Tourism Assets and Infrastructure
- Commercial Airports: San Luis Valley Regional Airport (subsidized by the Essential Air Service Program)
- Scenic Byways: Highway of Legends, Silver Thread Scenic Byway, Los Caminos Antiguos
- Wildlife Preserves: Baca National Wildlife Refuge, San Luis Valley National Wildlife Complex, Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge
- Heritage Areas: Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area
- Creative Districts: La Veta Creative District
- National Public Lands (parks/historic sites): Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
- Main Street Communities: Lake City, Creede, Monte Vista, Center, San Luis, Alamosa, Walsenburg:
- State Parks: Lathrop State Park
Economic Impacts from Tourism in 2023
- Visitor Spending: $210.2M
- Other Travel Spending: $2.1M
- Total Travel Spending: $212.3M
- Travel Industry Earnings: $59.2M
- Employment: 2,300 jobs
- Local Tax: $7.5M
- State Tax: $6.1M
- Total Tax: $13.6M
The Economic Impact of Travel in Colorado / 2023p / Prepared by Dean Runyan Associates
Destination Stewardship Partners
The Mystic San Luis Valley region is supported by various organizations and initiatives dedicated to destination stewardship. Given its vast geography and sparse rural population, these efforts are primarily county-focused rather than region-wide. Tourism coordination also operates on a county level due to funding constraints. However, some counties face challenges with limited capacity and resources for managing visitor information websites. For a detailed list of Destination Stewardship Partners, please refer to Annex 2.
Strategic Planning Process
The destination stewardship strategic planning process for the Mystic San Luis 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.
September – October 2023: Regional Workshops
Regional workshops were held in Alamosa and Saguache 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 Alamosa, 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:
- 16 individual stakeholder Interviews
- 48 attendees across three workshops
- 52 individuals consulted during roadshow meetings
Acknowledgements
The development of a Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan for the Mystic San Luis Valley travel region was a collective undertaking of over 200 stakeholders throughout the region. We express our profound appreciation to all individuals who played a pivotal role, including representatives from government agencies, destination management/marketing organization (DMO) 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 (DSC), whose guidance and leadership steered the process with wisdom and foresight.
The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) also extends 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 stakeholder consultation process, resulting in a plan reflective of the perspectives and voices of stakeholders. .
Solimar International Team
- Sarah-Jane Johnson, Mystic San Luis Valley 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.