Situational Analysis

Renowned for its globally acclaimed, iconic vistas, diverse flora and fauna, and legendary snowsports resorts, the Rockies Playground region welcomes visitors in search of thrilling high-alpine adventures and family-friendly recreational activities. Rich in cultural heritage, communities across the region creatively blend these elements together to offer immersive visitor experiences. With a vibrant tourism economy, residents and stakeholders are collaboratively pursuing programs and infrastructure that foster balanced growth while enhancing resident quality of life. Pressing concerns include the lack of affordable and attainable housing; traffic congestion; impacts on recreational trails and natural resources; wildlife protection; responsible and respectful visitation awareness; wildfire risk mitigation; and workforce development, including access to childcare.

Recognizing resource constraints, numerous multi-community and county initiatives within the region are already addressing housing solutions, natural resource and recreational management, wildfire mitigation, and workforce development. These models offer valuable frameworks for broader regional solutions and can be applied to other pressing issues such as climate action, housing, transit, and resource stewardship—key opportunities in a region committed to strategic destination management.

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

  1. Establish a Destination Stewardship Coalition

  2. Champion Destination Stewardship Messaging and Engagement of Visitors and Residents
  3. Collaborate on Recreation Management and Trail Connectivity
  4. Champion Wildlife Habitat Protection and Natural Resource Stewardship
  5. Create Authentic and Inclusive Cultural Heritage Experiences
  6. Expand and Connect Creative Districts to Diversify Tourism Offerings
  7. Streamline Public Transit to I-70 Destinations
  8. Expand Advocacy and Communications to Promote a Car-Free I-70 Mountain Corridor
  9. Support Regional Advocacy and Funding for Workforce Housing
  10. Promote Workforce Diversity and Skill Development
  11. Advance Regional Collaboration and Resourcing for Childcare and Early Childhood Education
  12. Develop a Regional Climate Action Plan

Tourism Assets and Infrastructure

  • Amtrak Stations: Fraser/Winter Park, Glenwood Springs
  • Commercial Airports: Eagle County Regional Airport, Aspen/Pitkin County Airport
  • Scenic Byways: Mount Blue Sky, West Elk Loop, Top of the Rockies, Guanella and Independence Passes
  • Snowsports Areas and Resorts: Loveland Ski Area, ECHO Mountain Resort, Arapahoe Basin, Arrowhead, Ski Cooper, Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek, Sunlight Mountain Resort, Buttermilk, Aspen Highlands, Aspen Mountain, and Snowmass.
  • Rockies Playground Colorado 14ers: Mt. Blue Sky, Mt Bierstadt, Grays, Torreys, Quandary, Mount of the Holy Cross, Maroon Peak, North Maroon Peak, Pyramid Peak, Capitol Peak, Castle Peak, Conundrum Peak, Snowmass Mountain, La Plata Peak, Mt. Elbert, Mt. Massive, Mt. Sherman
  • Other Sites and Attractions: Georgetown Loop Railroad, Capital Prize Mine, Phoenix Gold Mine, Indian Hot Springs, St. Mary’s Glacier, ARGO Mill and Tunnel, Dillon Reservoir, Colorado Snowsports Museum, Camp Hale National Monument, Maroon Bells, Crater Lake, Hanging Lake, Glenwood Hot Springs, Ashcroft Ghost Town
  • National Public Lands (parks/historic sites): Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
  • Main Streets: Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Leadville, Minturn, Red Cliff
  • Creative Districts: Breckenridge, Carbondale,
  • State Parks: Sylvan Lake,
  • State Wildlife Areas: 17 plus several fisheries

Economic Impact of Tourism in 2023

  • Visitor Spending: $4.2B
  • Other Travel Spending: $55.1M
  • Total Travel Spending: $4.3B
  • Travel Industry Earnings: $1.5B
  • Employment: 30,000 jobs
  • Local Tax: $200.3M
  • State Tax: $113.4M
  • Total Tax: $313.8M

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

Destination Stewardship Partners

The Rockies Playground is a well-established tourism region with a wide range of organizations and initiatives currently working on advancing destination stewardship. Partners range from government agencies and destination management and marketing organizations to nonprofits focused on environmental conservation, outdoor recreation, transportation, and workforce housing. For a detailed list of Destination Stewardship Partners, please refer to Annex 2.

Strategic Planning Process

The destination stewardship strategic planning process for the Rockies Playground 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 June 2023 through June 2024. Stakeholders actively participated and contributed to the development of the regional plan through these diverse 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 Frisco and Glenwood Springs 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 priorities and opportunities for the future of tourism.

April 2024: Regional Presentation and Roadshow

A regional presentation was held in Avon, 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 to give stakeholders the opportunity to provide comments and suggestions before finalization.

Key Metrics:

  • 35 individual stakeholder Interviews
  • 112 attendees across three workshops
  • 12 individuals from stakeholder communities and organizations consulted during roadshow meetings

Acknowledgments

The development of a Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan for the Rockies Playground 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

  • Julie Klein, Rockies Playground 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.