Wow.
Even Montrose looks like it is standing a chance at blowing right by the tourism marketing and resulting revenues of Glenwood Springs and Aspen.
That puts Vail Resorts being bolder to the east of both, Grand Junction, Mesa County and Powderhorn's snag of minor sports and infrastructure to the west of both and now Montrose, Telluride, Monarch and Wolf Ski Resort to the south all having far greater ability to draw in sustainable, major and regional tourism venues than anything Glenwood Springs or Aspen currently have going on.
Cori Coffin:
"MONTROSE, Colo.-There are 1,500 miles of recreational playground in Montrose County. "We've kind of adopted a theme of 360 degrees of adventure, 365 days a year," said Richard Harding, a member of the Montrose Citizens for Funding Our Future (MC4FF).
MC4FF is a group that has been working with commissioners for the past three years to create the largest undertaking ever attempted in the county. "(It involves) 141 projects with a billion dollar plus price tag over the next 30-35 years," said Commissioner David White.
The group's goal is to turn the tourism climate around in the county that has a nearly 20 percent unemployment rate.
According to the Department of Local Affairs, Montrose has only 6 percent tourism employment, versus 48 percent in surrounding counties. "If we're able to get up to the same level as those other counties, we're looking at over 16,000 jobs created in the tourism industry," said Harding.
Officials hope to bring new attractions to, as well as revamp existing attractions in Montrose County, such as "the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I mean that's an underutilized asset," said White.
"Montrose County is the only place in the United States that has a National Wilderness Area combined with a National Conservation Area combined with a National Park and combined with a National Recreation Area," added Harding.
Other projects include recreational items such as kayak and rock climbing facilities, "making it an alternative destination to Moab," said White....." (Read more? Click title)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
2 comments:
A billion bucks. So, where are we at here in Glenwood Springs with having to hire Hill Aevium to come help the chamber develop a brand and have we rented back our very own Glen Wood? Hey, that ought to be enough to help us compete with something of this caliber in Montrose! Enough of the less than 20% rise in tourism revenues once in awhile. Where are we at now, only 50% in the hole? Or have we made any real progress at all? Glenwood Springs is so, so much more than what we market it to be. Come on, city council! Get some game on!
What a boon this is to Montrose County. Nothing but good things for a great town.
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