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June 24, 2000 Eight years ago, Colorado’s voters declined to continue the state tax that had funded tourism promotion. Products and services such as restaurant meals, lodging, ski lift tickets and car rentals — all utilized primarily by visitors — had been taxed, but the voters apparently believed that the tax was undesirable for three reasons. Locals do spend money on those services. So do business travelers. Mainly, though, voters just don’t like taxes. This year, they may want to rethink that, because tourism is noticeably down. Visitation to almost all area attractions is lower than it was last year, and that’s a continuing trend. In an economy dependent on tourism, that’s not a good thing. There are many reasons for the decline, and not all of them can be corrected. A decade ago, this region was benefiting from the popularity of all things Southwestern. Howling coyote figurines were everywhere; Native American jewelry was the height of fashion. Inevitably, fashions changed, and travelers’ attention turned elsewhere. In addition, we had a run of bad luck. Hantavirus deterred some visitors during the summer of 1993. In 1996, the Chapin 5 fire at Mesa Verde forced many to change their plans, and many of those potential tourists, hailing from places not nearly as ‘big’ as the West, believed that the entire park and maybe the entire Four Corners area had been destroyed. This year fires have been in the news again, and someone in New Jersey, watching the nightly news while thumbing through travel brochures, can be forgiven for believing that the West is hellish — stark, blackened landscapes under smoke-filled skies. In addition, gas prices are up. For a few years, following the Energy Crisis of the late 1970s, we drove more economical cars and vacationed closer to home. As the memories receded, we bought gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles. Now, as gas prices in resort areas climb toward $2 a gallon, it’s pretty painful to fill that 40-gallon double tank. How, then, can we combat those adverse forces? There’s only one effective way: We need to make people aware that southwestern Colorado is green and welcoming, and more than worth the cost of getting here. It takes money to make money; we need to invest some in advertising. The tourism revenue is out there; we need to lure it here. Competing for revenue is a business basic, and advertising is still the best way to do that. Potential visitors need to know what we have to offer. Colorado is capable of selling itself, but we’re going to have to work at it. |
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