Sustainable Toursim
It goes by many names: sustainable tourism, destination stewardship, eco-tourism, etc., but what once focused mostly protecting the environment has now expanded to include people, culture, business and economic development. Durango destination management and marketing is now rightly focused on responsible tourism that protects the unique character of Durango and all of the community stakeholders.
Sustainable Durango tourism is defined as: tourism that takes full account of current and future economic, social and environmental impacts while addressing the needs of our stakeholders: visitors, our tourism industry, our environment and Durango residents.
The goals identified in Visit Durango’s Destination Management & Marketing Strategic Plan look very different than the goals of Visit Durango’s past. The nonprofit is now committed to taking a responsible approach to our county’s tourism strategy. A main goal is optimizing the entire visitor experience and our tourism industry’s symbiotic relationship with the local resident community.
Watch this video to learn more about how #TourismSupportsDurango.
Transportation
“The majority of transit riders in Durango are dependent on the service, but even after route cuts in 2018, funding the service is still a puzzle.
In 2017, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced it would be cutting grant funding to Durango Transit by about 55%. Public meetings were held and routes were eliminated. The drawdown would take place over five years, with the biggest funding drop in 2023, the city and state agreed.
With two years left, the city is still looking for ways to fill the funding gap.
“Ideally, funding would come from multiple sources in order to be the most equitable and sustainable,” said Sarah Dodson Hill, Durango’s assistant director of transportation. “Public transit funding is quite a puzzle that will require a lot of participation from different sources”
…The cost to reinstate the eliminated routes would be about $434,000, in addition to the $2 million the city is already spending…
One option might be the proposed lodgers tax increase, which is on the ballot this April. The tax, paid by people staying at hotels, motels or other vacation rentals, would add about $500,000 annually to the transit budget.
With that funding, the city would be able to maintain its pre-COVID-19 service level. It would be able to do some modest, sustainable enhancements, a City employee said.”
Funding Transit helps alleviate the parking downtown and is vital to many of our community members to get to their jobs and other essential travel needs.
Arts & Cultural Events
14% of the lodgers tax would go to arts and cultural events, programs and facilities. Grants from the arts & culture fund, which will be established if the lodgers’ tax passes and will be administered by the City of Durango, are estimated to be less than 5% of each organization's budget. This keeps those organizations responsible for the other 95% of their budget through earned revenue and fundraising activities. With this funding, our local cultural organizations can do even more to increase our residents’ quality of life. These organizations are the keystones of our downtown community and provide value for our community. The multiplier effect of the dollars spent on live theater, film festivals, exhibits, and a thriving annual arts festival is conservatively one to eleven; for every dollar spent to see a show, another eleven are infused into the downtown restaurants, retailers, and hotels, and all of those dollars are taxable which adds to the bottom line of the city coffers and in turn improves our city services. Creative economies are important for economic recovery, as well. Every community has roads and sidewalks, but the ones you would want to live in have a vibrant arts and culture scene.
With input from the Durango Creative District and the Creative Economy Commission, the nonprofits which they plan on giving grants to include…
Recipient Arts Organizations & Events
Durango Arts Center
The Powerhouse Science Center
Music in the Mountains
Stillwater Music
The Fort Lewis Community Concert Hall
Durango Bluegrass Meltdown
Play Fest
Animas History Museum
Cultural events at Center for SW Studies
Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Durango Film Fest
SJ Symphony
iAM Music Fest!
Durango Wine Experience
Taste of Durango
Be Frank Foundation
Snowdown
Four Corners Gem and Mineral Show
Durango Fiesta Days
Animas City Night Bazaar
Autumn Arts Fest
Dia De Los Muertos
+ Many More!