Park visitation drops across area

Park visitation drops across area

Aug. 14, 2001

By Janelle Holden
journal staff writer

Whether it’s because of higher gas prices, a downturn in the economy, or just summer heat, national parks and monuments across the Southwest suffered a drop in tourism this July.

"Visitation is down throughout the Southwest this summer and Mesa Verde National Park is no different. We are disappointed in these visitation numbers and realize that this reduction in tourism has a significant impact in our surrounding communities," commented Mesa Verde National Park superintendent Larry Wiese in a press release.

For the year through July, Mesa Verde’s visitation is down by 15.4 percent. Visits to Canyonlands National Park in Utah are down by 10.5 percent, Hovenweep National Monument by 18 percent, Natural Bridges National Monument by 14.7 percent, and Arches National Park by 3.2 percent.

Grand Canyon National Park’s visitation is down by 5 percent.

Visitation at Mesa Verde National Park can be a strong indicator of how the city of Cortez’s sales-tax revenues will look in the coming year.

July’s sales and lodgers-tax figures have not been released, but for June, Cortez sales-tax revenues were only 3.16 percent above the previous year. A total of $2,816,084 of sales-tax revenue has been brought in for the year — that’s a 7.47 percent increase above 2000, but a 1.4 percent drop from where the city stood for the year in May. So far, lodgers-tax revenues increased by 5.49 percent for the year totaling $52,723 as of July 1.

According to Kathi Moss, the city’s finance director, the city’s department heads have been advised to tighten their budgets, especially since she expects a further decrease in sales-tax revenues in August.

"I foresee another one this month too — us hitting another whammy," said Moss.

Why visitors are not descending on the area as they have in the past is still pure speculation, according to park spokesmen.

"Early on in the season it might have been gas prices," commented Paul Henderson, a spokesman for Southeast Utah Parks and Monuments, "but since then gas prices have dropped. Travel is cyclical. It’s hard to guess."

Compared to July 1999, Mesa Verde’s visitation dropped by 18.4 percent in July of this year. A total of 116,882 visitors traveled through Mesa Verde in July, a decrease of 26,401 visitors from 1999. The 2001 tourism rate at Mesa Verde cannot accurately be compared to July 2000 because the Bircher fire closed the park from July 20 to July 31.

Will Morris, a spokesman for Mesa Verde, said there is still hope for August. ARAMARK, the park’s concessionaire, recorded "one of their strongest weeks" last week, higher than the ’99 figures.

Traditionally, the second Tuesday of August, today, is Mesa Verde’s busiest day of the summer, according to Morris, who says the park has no explanation for the trend.

In neighboring Utah, Canyonlands National Park recorded 40,845 visitors in July, down by 22 percent from 2000. Hovenweep National Monument suffered a drop in visitation of nearly 60 percent recording only 3,008 visitors this July. Arches visitation dropped by 8.9 percent, recording 10,588 visitors, and Natural Bridges had 12,161 visitors, a drop of 16 percent.